Study of 161 Women Finds Menopause Recalibrates the Brain, With Some Changes Reversing in 2 Years
Updated
Updated · peterattiamd.com · May 9
Study of 161 Women Finds Menopause Recalibrates the Brain, With Some Changes Reversing in 2 Years
3 articles · Updated · peterattiamd.com · May 9
MRI and PET scans in 161 cognitively healthy women aged 40–65 found menopause was linked to region-specific shifts in brain structure and energy use, rather than uniform decline.
Estrogen swings during perimenopause and its sharp drop at menopause appear to drive that recalibration, affecting brain networks involved in memory, attention, glucose metabolism and blood flow.
Brain-volume reductions appeared in some memory and higher-order processing regions, but age-matched male controls showed different patterns, suggesting the changes were not explained by normal aging alone.
Two-year follow-up in 17 postmenopausal women showed many earlier volume losses had stabilized and some partly reversed, pointing to remodeling after hormonal levels settle.
Postmenopausal women also showed lower cerebral glucose metabolism, yet blood flow and ATP production were preserved or higher, suggesting the brain may shift to alternative energy strategies during the transition.
If your brain feels foggy during menopause but tests show you're sharp, what's really going on?
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