This article is a contribtion from our science advisor, neuroscientist Anjani Chakrala, PhD.

Rita checked her email for the third time that afternoon, rereading the same paragraph. Did she cover all the details? Did she repeat herself? Was the tone too sharp? At thirty, in her professional prime, she felt paralyzed by doubt over a simple message.

“It’s always the week before my period,” she sighed to her mother over coffee. “My brain just blanks. I forget why I enter rooms. At work, I second-guess everything I write. It’s exhausting.”

Lina, 55, nodded in understanding. “I get it. In my forties, before menopause, I’d forget names or lose my train of thought mid-sentence. Even now, strong hormone swings make my brain stall. It’s unsettling, but it’s just part of the cycle.”

Across the table, Rita’s grandmother Emily, 70, smiled knowingly. “It doesn’t go away. After a poor night’s sleep, I still feel foggy. My periods are long gone, but cloudy moments linger. I don’t fight it anymore. It’s just another rhythm of being a woman.”

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Most women experience hormone-driven brain fog at some point. From menstruation to menopause and beyond, shifting hormones can blur focus, dull memory, and quietly chip away at confidence.

Rita’s fog isn’t imagined. It’s influenced by her hormones. Each month, as estrogen dips before her period, her brain feels the shift. The regions that guide focus and memory, the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, lose a bit of their edge. Studies show that when estrogen levels fall, brain cells don’t communicate as efficiently, making focus and memory feel slippery.^1,2,3

Then comes progesterone, adding to the challenge. As it drops before menstruation, sleep can suffer, leaving Rita groggy and distracted. Her brain keeps compensating, finding extra routes to get things done, but that hidden effort takes a toll.^4,5

For Lina, in her forties and fifties, hormones haven't just dipped; they swing unpredictably. Estrogen, which helps regulate mood and memory, becomes erratic.^5,6 When its levels spike and crash, recalling names or managing tasks can suddenly feel harder. Falling progesterone brings restless nights, deepening the fog.^5,7

Emily, now beginning her seventies, lives in a steadier hormonal state but not necessarily an easier one. Her estrogen remains low year-round, offering less protection for brain cells and more openings for fatigue or forgetfulness, especially after poor sleep.^7,8 At this stage, clarity depends more on rest, stress, and age than shifting hormones.^8,9

The good news? While hormones can throw your mind off balance, your brain isn’t powerless. It remains deeply adaptable, capable of relearning, rewiring, and regaining focus through practice. That adaptability, called neuroplasticity, is what makes neurofeedback possible.^10,11,12,13

How Neurofeedback Helps Your Brain Find Its Rhythm

Neurofeedback works like a personal trainer for your brain. It measures your brain’s electrical activity and turns it into simple, visual feedback you can respond to in real time. Each session becomes a gentle conversation between your mind and its own patterns. Over time, your brain learns to stabilize attention, sharpen focus, and manage stress with greater ease.^14,15,16

Modern tools like Thinkie bring this process to life in a friendly, accessible way. Thinkie combines a sleek, brain-sensing headband with interactive mental games that adapt to your focus. As you play, you see your brain’s effort and calm in action, like watching muscles strengthen in a mirror at the gym.^17,18

It’s not magic; it’s practice. Just as your body builds endurance through repetition, your brain builds clarity through feedback. Research shows that regular neurofeedback and cognitive training improve focus and memory through measurable neuroplastic changes.^16,18,9

With consistent practice, the haze begins to lift. Focus deepens. Calm returns. Paired with good sleep, movement, and mindful nourishment, neurofeedback becomes more than a training tool. It becomes a way to reconnect with yourself.

For Rita, Lina, and Emily, clarity no longer feels out of reach. Each session is a reminder that even as hormones change, the mind stays adaptable, vibrant, and strong, ready to find its rhythm again.

Citations

1. Jean Hailes. (2024). How your hormones could be causing brain fog.
2. PLOS One. (2025). Menstrual cycle effects on cognitive performance: A meta-analysis.
3. Jacobs, E., & D’Esposito, M. (2011). Estrogen shapes dopamine-dependent cognitive processes. Journal of Neuroscience.
4. Baker, F. C. et al. (2019). Sleep and the menstrual cycle. Sleep Medicine Reviews.
5. DrBrighten.com. (2025). Perimenopause Brain Fog: Causes, Symptoms, and Solutions.
6. Greendale, G. A. et al. (2023). Menopause and the aging brain. Nature Reviews Endocrinology.
7. HealthCentral. (2025). What’s Behind That Menopause Brain Fog.
8. Lone Star Neurology. (2025). How Menopause Hormonal Changes Impact Brain Health.
9. Phillips, C. (2017). Lifestyle Modulators of Neuroplasticity.
10. Ros, T. et al. (2014). Neurofeedback Training and the Regulation of Brain States.
11. Sitaram, R. et al. (2017). Closed-loop brain training. Nature Reviews Neuroscience.
12. Gruzelier, J. (2014). EEG-neurofeedback for optimizing performance.
13. Enriquez-Geppert, S. et al. (2017). Self-regulation of frontal-midline theta.
14. PMC11026996. (2024). Efficacy of Original Neurofeedback Treatment Method.
15. PMC11925212. (2025). Neurofeedback for COVID-19 Brain Fog.
16. Brain Sci. (2022). Cognitive Training with Neurofeedback Using NIRS.
17. Thinkie System. (2025). How It Works: The Science.
18. Acevedo, B., & Collins, N. (2022). Effects of Cognitive Training Study. UC Santa Barbara.