The menopausal brain : Effects of estrogen depletion on cognition

Abstract: Menopause is a major reproductive-related event in a woman’s life, occurring naturally at around the age of fifty years. Accompanying menopause is a drastic decrease in estrogen levels. Estrogen receptors are present throughout the human brain: e.g., in regions such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, both involved in cognition. Given that about half of the world’s population is female, it is important to examine if and how cognition is affected by the menopausal estrogen depletion, both at the level of public health, and at the individual level. Studies within the field show diverse results due to a wide range of methodology among studies. Behavioral studies foremost point towards a potential estrogenic effect on verbal short- and long-term memory. Structural and functional neuroimaging, together with animal studies, mainly show structural and functional alterations in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex that may be related to changes in estrogen levels. Taken together, this thesis reviews estrogenic effects on different cognitive functions, as well as structural and functional changes in the brain in relation to the menopausal estrogen depletion.