Across the menstrual cycle, there are fluctuations of the hormones including estrogen and progesterone. Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) work by changing the flow of the cycle and thus inhibiting the release of an egg from an ovary. Numerous studies have shown that there are differences in performance on memory tasks depending on if you have high or low estrogen. This study is investigating the differences in hormone levels and mental abilities throughout a woman’s menstrual cycle in both women who are and who are not taking oral contraceptive pills.

If you are interested in participating in this study please call (312) 355-5652 or e-mail UIC.memory.study@gmail.com.

Neurocognitive deficits are common in patients with HIV.  Data suggests that a frequent gene variant of the catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) gene, negatively influences performance and brain activity during tasks involving working memory through its effect on dopamine metabolism. Previously, crack cocaine use was associated with impairments in verbal memory in HIV+ but not HIV- women. Given that illicit drug use as well as dopamine dysregulation are common in HIV patients, this study aims to determine the independent effects of this COMT gene variant and illicit drug use in combination with HIV infection on brain activity in HIV+ women during a working and verbal memory task.

Tests of fluency measure the speeded production of verbal or nonverbal responses under particular constraints. Fluency tests are routinely administered in clinical neuropsychological evaluations of older adults because they serve as a marker for frontal lobe dysfunction in individuals with and without dementia. Numerous studies have documented age-related declines in verbal fluency and sex-related differences in verbal fluency performance. We aim to determine which fluency test shows the largest age and sex effects and which test shows the highest correlation with other measures known to be sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction.

If you are interested in participating in this study please call (312) 355-5652

This research is being done so we can better understand the effects of hormones and gender on mental abilities and symptoms in schizophrenia. Research suggests that men and women excel at different mental abilities. For instance, on average, men generally outperform women on tests requiring them to learn and remember a map, and women generally outperform men on tests requiring them to say a series of words quickly. Research studies suggest that the hormones estrogen and testosterone influence performance on those tasks. We are conducting similar studies in people with and without schizophrenia to better understand how the condition might affect mental abilities in men and women with the disease. To understand how estrogen effects memory in schizophrenia we need to know how hormones typically affect mental abilities in healthy volunteers.

Thus, the purpose of this research is to determine whether men and women with schizophrenia show differences in mental abilities and whether those mental abilities change in women as levels of estrogen change across the menstrual cycle.

Lupron (leuprolide acetate) is a medication prescribed to men with prostate cancer to lower levels of gonadal hormones, including testosterone and estrogen. Hot flashes are a common side effect of Lupron and other depot GnRH analog therapies. A recent research study used a portable monitor to measure hot flashes in women and found that hot flashes were related to poorer performance on some tests of mental abilities. It is unknown if hot flashes are also related to poorer performance in men. The goal of this study is to determine whether hot flashes are also negatively related to memory impairments in men receiving Lupron or other depot GnRH analog therapies for the treatment of prostate cancer.

If you are interested in participating in this study please call (312) 355-5652