Premenopausal Transition in Neurodivergent Women with Musculoskeletal Syndromes: Mechanisms, Risks, and Neuroinclusive Therapeutics

Author's Information:

Piper Hutson

Lindenwood University, USA 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1787-6143

James Hutson

Lindenwood University, USA 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0578-6052

Vol 02 No 09 (2025):Volume 02 Issue 09 September 2025

Page No.: 696-712

Abstract:

Neurodivergent women with chronic musculoskeletal syndromes experience disproportionate premenopausal symptom burdens that are poorly characterized in extant clinical paradigms and practice. The compounded interplay of estrogen fluctuations in premenopause with sensory–executive differences and baseline nociception from joint or connective-tissue pathology yields intensified pain, mood dysregulation, and functional decline. Evidence indicates estrogen modulates nociception, neuroinflammation, bone remodeling, and monoaminergic signaling; premenopausal variability magnifies pain, affective lability, and cognitive drift—effects accentuated in autism and ADHD. Coexisting hypermobility, fibromyalgia, or connective-tissue disorders compromise joint integrity and proprioception, increasing susceptibility to estrogen-dependent changes in bone microarchitecture and tendon homeostasis. This article advances an integrative neuroendocrine–musculoskeletal framework that balances neurodivergent conditions and musculoskeletal diagnoses equally while focusing explicitly on premenopause. Methodologically, it synthesizes convergent findings from endocrinology, pain science, and neuropsychiatry to delineate mechanisms—estrogen withdrawal, dopamine dysregulation, neuroimmune priming, and gut–brain signaling—relevant to this intersection. The analysis differentiates oral versus transdermal hormone therapies, emphasizes bioidentical, liver-sparing regimens, and appraises nonhormonal agents (e.g., SSRIs/SNRIs, gabapentinoids) alongside lifestyle interventions that elevate BDNF and attenuate inflammation. Special attention addresses risk modifiers salient to neurodivergent women: progesterone sensitivity, estradiol-mediated alcohol reward potentiation, executive dysfunction affecting adherence, and sensory hyperreactivity to foreign-body contraceptives. The proposed care model operationalizes neuroinclusive practice through structured monitoring, shared decision-making, and cross-disciplinary coordination, offering a decision matrix for individualized, route-specific hormone strategies and adjuncts. Anchored in premenopausal physiology, this approach aims to mitigate pain and psychiatric morbidity, preserve bone and functional capacity, and set a research agenda to close equity gaps in women’s neuroendocrine health.

KeyWords:

Premenopause, Neurodivergence, Musculoskeletal syndromes, Transdermal hormone therapy, Neuroinflammation

References:

  1. Abdelrazeq, S. Y. (2025). Comparative evidence between transdermal and oral menopausal hormone therapy: Rapid review. Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health. https://www.cda-amc.ca/sites/default/files/pdf/htis/2025/RD0073-MHT_Rapid_Review-final.pdf 
  2. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). (2023). Compounded bioidentical menopausal hormone therapy (ACOG Clinical Consensus No. 6). https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/clinical-consensus/articles/2023/11/compounded-bioidentical-menopausal-hormone-therapy 
  3. Bansal, A. S., Seton, K. A., Brooks, J. C., & Carding, S. R. (2025). Cognitive Dysfunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome—Aetiology and Potential Treatments. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(5), 1896. 
  4. Brady, M. J., Jenkins, C. A., Gamble-Turner, J. M., Moseley, R. L., Janse van Rensburg, M., & Matthews, R. J. (2024). “A perfect storm”: Autistic experiences of menopause and midlife. Autismhttps://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241244548 
  5. British Menopause Society (BMS). (2023). Progestogens and endometrial protection: Tools for clinicians. Warwick, UK: British Menopause Society. 
  6. Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH). (2025). Transdermal versus oral menopausal hormone therapy for vasomotor symptoms: Rapid review. Ottawa, Canada: CADTH. https://www.cadth.ca 
  7. Casale, R., Atzeni, F., Bazzichi, L., Beretta, G., Costantini, E., Sacerdote, P., & Tassorelli, C. (2021). Pain in women: a perspective review on a relevant clinical issue that deserves prioritization. Pain and therapy, 10(1), 287-314. 
  8. Cusano, J. L., Erwin, V., Miller, D., & Rothman, E. F. (2024). The transition to menopause for autistic individuals in the US: a qualitative study of health care challenges and support needs. Menopause, 10-1097. 
  9. Dai, X. Y., Liu, L., Song, F. H., Gao, S. J., Wu, J. Y., Li, D. Y., & Mei, W. (2024). Targeting the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway for chronic pain. Aging and Disease, 15(1), 186. 
  10. di Filippo, L., & Rosen, C. J. (2024). Latest on anabolic agents for osteoporosis treatment. Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics, 53(4), 513-523. 
  11. Donohoe, F., O’Meara, Y., Roberts, A., Comerford, L., Valcheva, I., Kearns, U., & Brennan, D. J. (2024). Multimodal, Technology-Assisted Intervention for the Management of Menopause after Cancer Improves Cancer-Related Quality of Life—Results from the Menopause after Cancer (Mac) Study. Cancers, 16(6), 1127. 
  12. Genazzani, A. R., Divakar, H., Khadilkar, S. S., Monteleone, P., Evangelisti, B., Galal, A. F., & Benedetto, C. (2024). Counseling in menopausal women: How to address the benefits and risks of menopause hormone therapy. A FIGO position paper. South African General Practitioner, 5(1), 14-28. 
  13. Gombert-Labedens, M., Vesterdorf, K., Fuller, A., Maloney, S. K., & Baker, F. C. (2025). Effects of menopause on temperature regulation. Temperature, 12(2), 92-132. 
  14. Gottardello, D., & Steffan, B. (2024). Fundamental intersectionality of menopause and neurodivergence experiences at work. Maturitas, 189, 108107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2024.108107 
  15. Guan, D., Hou, Z., Fan, B., Bai, Y., Wu, H., Yu, J., & Wang, Q. (2025). The Extract of Piper nigrum Improves the Cognitive Impairment and Mood in Sleep-Deprived Mice Through the JAK1/STAT3 Signalling Pathway. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(5), 1842. 
  16. Handy, A. B., Greenfield, S. F., & Payne, L. A. (2025). Estrogen and alcohol use in women: A targeted review. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 28(1), 81–93. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-024-01483-9 
  17. Huang, A. J., Faubion, S., & Grady, D. (2025). Nonhormonal Treatment of Menopausal Vasomotor Symptoms. JAMA Internal Medicine
  18. Iyer, T. K., Fiffick, A. N., & Batur, P. (2024). Nonhormone therapies for vasomotor symptom management. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 91(4), 237–244. https://doi.org/10.3949/ccjm.91a.23067 
  19. Jenkins, J., & Foxhill, A. (2024). Autism, menopause and Me: A survey exploring personal experiences of menopause for autistic and non-autistic British women. Autism. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241238947 
  20. Ji, R.-R., & Zhang, X. (2024). STAT3-dependent neuroinflammatory signaling in chronic pain. Journal of Neuroinflammation, 21, Article 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-023-02937-7 
  21. Kim, Y., Yeom, C. W., Lee, H. J., Kim, J. H., Lee, K. M., Kim, T. Y., & Son, K. L. (2024). Differential effects of desvenlafaxine on hot flashes in women with breast cancer taking tamoxifen: a randomized controlled trial. npj Breast Cancer, 10(1), 59. 
  22. Klausen, M. K., Kuzey, T., Pedersen, J. N., Justesen, S. K., Rasmussen, L., Knorr, U. B., & Fink-Jensen, A. (2025). Does semaglutide reduce alcohol intake in Danish patients with alcohol use disorder and comorbid obesity? Trial protocol of a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial (the SEMALCO trial). BMJ open, 15(1), e086454. 
  23. Metcalf, D., Duffy, A., Page, S., & Novick, A. (2023). Cognitive problems in perimenopause. Current Psychiatry Reports, 25(10), 591–602. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-023-01491-3 
  24. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2024). Menopause: Diagnosis and management (NG23). https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23 
  25. North American Menopause Society (NAMS). (2023). The 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Mayfield Heights, OH: NAMS. 
  26. Osteoporosis Canada (OC) Guideline Update Group. (2023). Clinical practice guideline for management of osteoporosis and fracture prevention in Canada: 2023 update. CMAJ, 195(39), E1333–E1347. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.221647 
  27. Price, A. J. (2023). Subjective sensory sensitivities as a transdiagnostic experience: characterisation, impact, and the development of the Cardiff Hypersensitivity Scale (Doctoral dissertation, Cardiff University). 
  28. Sang, K., Cocco, C., Wedgwood, B., Richards, J., & Watson, F. (2024). Improving the workplace support for neurodivergent women managing their menstrual health: Neurodiversity and menstrual health at work.  
  29. Simpson, M. S., Tuuli, C. D., & Eate, E. (2025). A UK Study: Menopausal and Perimenopausal Women’s Biopsychosocial Experiences, Understanding of Treatment Options, and Thoughts Towards their Future Lives. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics Plus, 100191. 
  30. Vidal-Neira, L. F. (2024). Climacteric and fibromyalgia: A review. Climacterichttps://doi.org/10.1080/13697137.2024.2376190 
  31. Wright, V. J. (2024). The musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause. Climacterichttps://doi.org/10.1080/13697137.2024.2380363 
  32. Yang, X. (2025). Advancing menopausal pain management: the necessity of multidimensional analysis and interdisciplinary collaboration. Pain, 166(5), 1212. 
  33. Zallar, L. J., Rivera-Irizarry, J. K., Hamor, P. U., Pigulevskiy, I., Rico Rozo, A.-S., Mehanna, H., Liu, D., Welday, J. P., Bender, R., Asfouri, J. J., Levine, O. B., Skelly, M. J., Hadley, C. K., Fecteau, K. M., Nelson, S., Miller, J., Ghazal, P., Bellotti, P., Singh, A., Hollmer, L. V., Erikson, D. W., Geri, J., & Pleil, K. E. (2024). Rapid nongenomic estrogen signaling controls alcohol drinking behavior in mice. Nature Communications, 15, 10725. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54737