Understanding change in women's brains through EEG scans.

Summary

Women’s mental healthcare has mostly been based on research done on men, so we don’t fully understand how hormones affect women’s brains during menstruation, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause. Also, our healthcare system focuses on medical treatments like medication and trying to change thoughts and emotions, instead of looking at ways to directly heal the brain and improve mental health.
A key tool for improving mental healthcare is the Electroencephalogram (EEG). An EEG measures brain activity and helps find areas where the brain isn’t working properly, which can happen after emotional or physical trauma. While researchers in the US and Europe have created EEG databases, none focus on women.

Our goal in this study is to conduct 800-1000 EEGs of women at different stages of life, to understand what a healthy female brain looks like during menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. We will analyze the EEG data and properties so we can discover what type of non-invasive therapy can help heal a woman's brain best at whatever stage in life she finds herself. This information is important for creating better mental health care choices for women in Alberta.

Eligibility

Currently recruiting participants: Yes

Eligible ages: 18 to 80

Accepts healthy participants: Yes

Inclusion criteria:

You can join this study if:
1.you are female
2.over 18 years of age
3.able to read and write English

Exclusion criteria:

You cannot join the study if:
1. you are male
2. you are under 18 years of age
3. you can not read and write in English
4. you have a metal plate in your head
5. you are hypersensitive to touching

Participate

Fill out the following form if you want to participate in this research

Method of contact

UCalgary Notice of Collection
The University of Calgary (UCalgary) respects your privacy and is committed to ensuring the privacy of all students, staff, and community members. Your personal information is being collected under the authority of section 4(c) of the Protection of Privacy Act (POPA). It will be collected, used and disclosed for the purposes outlined in UCalgary’s Notice of Collection, Use and Disclosure of Personal Information and managed in accordance with UCalgary’s Privacy Management Program. Your personal information may be input into automated systems to generate content or make decisions, recommendations, or predictions. If you have questions regarding this notice or UCalgary’s collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information, please contact accessandprivacy@ucalgary.ca.

Additional information

Contact information

Find out more about joining our Women's EEG Brain Study by emailing our team at: hope@ucalgary.ca.

Principal investigator:

Dawn Kingston

Clinical trial:

No

REB-ID:

REB25-0104