Menopause and Memory
Menopause causes many changes in a woman’s body, with symptoms such as irregular menstrual periods, hot flashes and night sweats. However, some women have also reported problems with memory loss, anxiety and depression.
The reasoning behind this isn’t so clear: originally, it was believed that the dwindling levels of estrogen during menopause were the cause of short-term memory loss. Estrogen is an essential hormone; it is involved in increasing the levels of acetylcholine (memory), serotonin (mood), noradrenaline (mood and autonomic functions) and dopamine (motor coordination).
However, in a memory study done by Meyer et al. , there was no decrease in memory among postmenopausal women; instead, there was actually a slight increase. The statistical research didn’t agree with the reported data from the women…so what could it be?
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Please elaborate on "storage techniques" When I clicked the link I found that it wasn't a good link.
Very interesting information. I have read that the brain is also re-wiring during menopausal years.
Sorry about that. The link is to a previous article I wrote on EmpowHer: http://www.empowher.com/news/herarticle/2009/05/27/having-trouble-your-m...
This is fascinating to me. Are you familiar with the recent study saying longterm use of Premarin is connected to memory loss in menopausal women who had hysterectomies?
I hadn't heard about that study. Do you have a link to it?
I'm not sure if this is the research Anon was referring to, but it sounds like it. I can't find the original research but this page refers to it:
http://www.smart-kit.com/s124/premarin-and-memory-loss/
as does this one:
http://www.brainpower.org/research/premarin.html
Both pages have to do with exercises that you can do to increase your brain function, not the original study, but the first page does refer to the official study by name. I also am interested in Premarin because my mother has taken it for decades after having a hysterectomy in the '70s. She is experiencing some memory loss, and I have wondered about any possible connection.