Mood and Psychosis Symptoms during the Menopause Transition (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)

The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to advance translational research to better understand the emergence and worsening of mood and psychotic disorders during the menopause transition. This includes conditions such as perimenopausal depression, generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, with the goal of identifying targets for future development of novel treatment interventions. The funding opportunity aims to advance novel and innovative translational research to better comprehend the underlying neurobiological and behavioral mechanisms of mood and psychosis disorders and related symptoms during the menopause transition. It encourages interdisciplinary researchers to collaborate on studies of mood and psychosis during this critical period. Aspects of interest include classic depressive symptoms in combination with menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and sleep disturbance, the role of reproductive steroids in mood and behavior regulation, diagnosis of symptoms at various menopausal stages, investigation of co-occurring psychiatric and menopause symptoms, psychosocial factors common in midlife, and differential diagnoses. Review criteria will focus on the comprehensiveness of the neurobiology and mechanisms of action underlying mood and psychosis symptoms through hypothesis-driven work.