WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Researchers from the University of Vermont's Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine have found that menopause, once considered a taboo topic, can affect how the brain works.
The study, led by Julie Dumas, compared brain function in women before menopause (premenopause), during menopause (perimenopause), and after menopause (postmenopause). The researchers, who study how hormones affect brain aging in middle-aged women, found clear differences in brain activity during a 'resting state,' when people are awake but not doing any specific task. These changes appeared to be linked to shifts in hormone levels, especially estrogen, which plays a key role in women's reproductive health.
Published in the journal Menopause, the official peer-reviewed journal of the Menopause Society, the findings suggested that menopause is an important stage for the brain and may affect both current thinking and memory as well as long-term brain aging.
'With decades of life remaining after menopause, it is important to understand the neurological effects of hormone changes at midlife,' study author Abigail Testo said. 'Our research contributes to the growing body of work examining the relationship between menopause and the brain.'
The research team is now continuing to study how hormone changes after menopause affect brain aging. They are also looking at how natural hormones and hormone therapy may have different effects on brain health as women grow older.
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