Menopause is a natural process that every woman goes through by the age of forty. What if menopause is linked to brain health? Such a connection can be disturbing.
Surprisingly, the new research has found a link in which scientists have witnessed Alzheimer’s-like changes in the brain and gray matter loss as women enter menopause.
Health experts from the University of Cambridge conducted a large-scale study examining the neurological effects in women.
The study of 125,000 women found that menopause is linked to a loss of gray matter in areas related to emotions, memory and movement, putting women at greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease than men.
According to Prof. Barbara Sahakian, senior author from the University of Cambridge: “The brain areas where we saw these differences are the regions commonly affected by Alzheimer’s disease.”
“Menopause could make these women vulnerable over time. While this is not the whole story, it may help explain why we see almost twice as many cases of dementia in women than in men,” she added.
According to findings published in the journal Psychological Medicine, the brain changes take place in the following parts:
- The Hippocampus which is important for memory and learning
- The anterior cingulate cortex, helps regulate emotions and attention
- The entorhinal cortex plays a role in developing memories and spatial navigation
In addition to physiological and neurological changes, the research also sheds light on how menopause can worsen mental health problems and cause anxiety, depression and irregular sleep patterns. Moreover, it affects cognitive skills.
To control these symptoms, the NHS recommends hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, the study shows that taking HRT did not appear to prevent gray matter loss.
Michelle Dyson from the Alzheimer’s Society said: “And while we still don’t fully understand why they are more sensitive than men, it is thought that hormones may play a role.”
“This large study adds to the body of evidence showing how menopause affects the brain, including physical changes such as loss of brain volume.
In Britain, of all people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, women make up a two-thirds majority.
