Meno Brain

• Does Menopause Impact Our Brain?

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• The brain relies on estrogen receptors that influence cognitive function, neurobiological aging among other areas. Many menopause symptoms originate due to estrogen decline in the brain including vasomotor symptoms of menopause (thermoregulation), mood, sleep, and cognition. While there is increasing evidence based predominately by the research of Dr. Mosconi to validate ‘menopause brain’ much more research is required to understand how estrogen receptors function in the brain and the potential value of estrogen therapies. 

  Postmenopausal women are more susceptible to brain injury, mood disorders such as manic or depressive episodes, and certain neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) compared to premenopausal women and men of similar ages. In fact, globally, 65% of AD and dementia occurs in women, and in the US almost two-thirds of  people with AD are women. 

  According to brain imaging research, menopausal transition is related to a reduction in grey matter (the area of the brain that processes and interpret information allowing people to control their thoughts, emotions, memories, and motor movements) and glucose metabolism. Both appear attenuated with estrogen therapy.

   Using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanning to look at midlife women’s brains revealed that regardless of age, they could decipher who was pre or post menopausal based on estrogen receptor density in the scans. Images validated associations with poorer memory performance in perimenopause and postmenopausal women and predicted the presence of self-reported mood and cognitive symptoms after menopause. 

  Check out Dr. Lisa Masconi's book "The Menopause Brain". It is a fantastic read full of information and easy to digest.

While women's brain research is evolving, there are more questions than answers related to menopause. Listen to our podcast with Dr. Rajah on your favorite app or watch on YouTube, as we discuss her research program and thoughts on women's brains as we age.

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  Resources

  • Morrison, J. H., Brinton, R. D., Schmidt, P. J. & Gore, A. C. Estrogen, menopause, and the aging brain: How basic neuroscience can inform hormone therapy in women. J. Neurosci. 26, 10332–10348.

    Mosconi, L. et al. Sex diferences in Alzheimer risk brain imaging of endocrine versus chronologic aging. Neurology 89, 1382–1390 (2017). 14 Vol:.(1234567890) Scientifc Reports | (2024) 14:12680 | 

     

    In vivo brain estrogen receptor density by neuroendocrine aging and relationships with cognition and symptomatology 

     

    Scientific Reports  11. Mosconi, L. et al. Increased Alzheimer’s risk during the menopause transition: A 3-year longitudinal study. PloS One 13(12), e0207885 (2018). 12. Mosconi, L. et al. Menopause impacts human brain structure, connectivity, energy metabolism, and amyloid-beta deposition. Sci. Rep. 11, 10867.

     

    Menopause impacts human brain structure, connectivity, energy metabolism, and amyloid-beta deposition  (2021). 13. Kim, G. W., Park, K. & Jeong, G. W. Efects of sex hormones and age on brain volume in post-menopausal women. J. Sex Med. 15, 662–670.

     

    Effects of Sex Hormones and Age on Brain Volume in Post-Menopausal Women  (2018). 14. Tan, S. et al. Interactions between age, sex, menopause, and brain structure at midlife: A UK biobank study. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 106, 410–420.

     

    Interactions Between Age, Sex, Menopause, and Brain Structure at Midlife: A UK Biobank Study  (2021). 15. Rahman, A. et al. Sex-driven modifers of Alzheimer risk. Neurology 95, e166.

     

    Sex-driven modifiers of Alzheimer risk | Neurology  (2020). 16. Buckley, R. F. et al. Menopause status moderates sex diferences in tau burden: A Framingham PET study. Ann. Neurol. 92, 11–22.Menopause Status Moderates Sex Differences in Tau Burden: A Framingham PET Study  (2022). 17. Comasco, E., Frokjaer, V. G. & Sundström-Poromaa, I. Functional and molecular neuroimaging of menopause and hormone replacement therapy. Front. Neurosci. 8, 388. 

     

    Frontiers | Functional and molecular neuroimaging of menopause and hormone replacement therapy (2014). 18. Maki, P. M. Te timing of estrogen therapy after ovariectomy–implications for neurocognitive function. Nat. Clin. Pract. Endocrinol. Metab. 4, 494+ (2008)
    
    Estrogen, Menopause, and the Aging Brain: How Basic Neuroscience Can Inform Hormone Therapy in Women  (2006). 

  • PMID: 38902275

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