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Maki PM, Jaff NG. Menopause and brain fog: how to counsel and treat midlife women. Menopause 2024:00042192-990000000-00338. [PMID: 38888619 DOI: 10.1097/gme.0000000000002382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Brain fog, referring to menopause-related subjective cognitive difficulties, is common in midlife women. Longitudinal studies find small but reliable declines in objective memory performance as women transition into perimenopause, and these are not explained by advancing age alone. When memory declines occur, performance levels remain within normal limits for all but a very small number of women. Women's experience of brain fog extends beyond memory complaints, reflecting the negative effect on a broad range of cognitive abilities. Clinicians can counsel women about how menopause symptoms, estrogen, hormone therapy, and modifiable risk factors (eg, hypertension, sedentary lifestyle) can influence cognitive health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicole G Jaff
- University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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2
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Kalpakjian CZ, Hanks R, Quint EH, Millis S, Sander AM, Lequerica AH, Bushnik T, Brunner R, Rapport L. Assessing menopause symptoms in women with traumatic brain injury: the development and initial testing of a new scale. Women Health 2024; 64:51-64. [PMID: 38097958 DOI: 10.1080/03630242.2023.2294969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
With greater survival rates after catastrophic injury, more women with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are living longer than ever. However, knowledge about this transition in these women is largely unexamined and there are no scales that have been developed to assess the experience of symptoms. To address this gap, we developed and tested a new scale of menopause symptoms in midlife women with TBI. We selected candidate items from two existing measures based on feedback from focus group discussions with seven women with TBI. Twenty candidate items were tested in cognitive interviews with six women with TBI/1 non-TBI. Then, these were field tested with 221 participants (TBI, n = 68; non-TBI, n = 153) recruited from registries. Rasch analysis and convergent validity testing were used to evaluate the new scale. Results of the Rasch analysis indicate that overall, the scale fits well the Rasch model with evidence for unidimensionality. Differential item functioning indicated that the scale performed equally well for women with and without TBI and distinguished pre- and post-menopausal states. Convergent validity was found in the expected directions. These findings support further development of the new scale to understand the experience of menopause symptoms among women with TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Z Kalpakjian
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Robin Hanks
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Elisabeth H Quint
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Scott Millis
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Angelle M Sander
- H. Ben Taub Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine and the Brain Injury Research Center, TIRR Memorial Hermann, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Anthony H Lequerica
- Center for Traumatic Brain Injury Research, Kessler Foundation, West Orange, New Jersey, USA
| | - Tamara Bushnik
- Rusk Rehabilitation, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert Brunner
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Lisa Rapport
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
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3
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Itoh N, Itoh Y, Meyer CE, Suen TT, Cortez-Delgado D, Rivera Lomeli M, Wendin S, Somepalli SS, Golden LC, MacKenzie-Graham A, Voskuhl RR. Estrogen receptor beta in astrocytes modulates cognitive function in mid-age female mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6044. [PMID: 37758709 PMCID: PMC10533869 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41723-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Menopause is associated with cognitive deficits and brain atrophy, but the brain region and cell-specific mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we identify a sex hormone by age interaction whereby loss of ovarian hormones in female mice at midlife, but not young age, induced hippocampal-dependent cognitive impairment, dorsal hippocampal atrophy, and astrocyte and microglia activation with synaptic loss. Selective deletion of estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) in astrocytes, but not neurons, in gonadally intact female mice induced the same brain effects. RNA sequencing and pathway analyses of gene expression in hippocampal astrocytes from midlife female astrocyte-ERβ conditional knock out (cKO) mice revealed Gluconeogenesis I and Glycolysis I as the most differentially expressed pathways. Enolase 1 gene expression was increased in hippocampi from both astrocyte-ERβ cKO female mice at midlife and from postmenopausal women. Gain of function studies showed that ERβ ligand treatment of midlife female mice reversed dorsal hippocampal neuropathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Itoh
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yuichiro Itoh
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Cassandra E Meyer
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Timothy Takazo Suen
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Diego Cortez-Delgado
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Sophia Wendin
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sri Sanjana Somepalli
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lisa C Golden
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Allan MacKenzie-Graham
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rhonda R Voskuhl
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Stefanowski B, Kucharski M, Szeliga A, Snopek M, Kostrzak A, Smolarczyk R, Maciejewska-Jeske M, Duszewska A, Niwczyk O, Drozd S, Englert-Golon M, Smolarczyk K, Meczekalski B. Cognitive decline and dementia in women after menopause: Prevention strategies. Maturitas 2023; 168:53-61. [PMID: 36493633 DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2022.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Worldwide, cognitive decline and dementia are becoming one of the biggest challenges for public health. The decline in cognition and the development of dementia may be caused by predisposing or trigger factors. There is no consensus over whether the drop in estrogen levels after menopause is a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. This article discusses the prevention of cognitive decline and dementia in women after menopause, both primary prevention (essentially pharmacological intervention) and secondary prevention (chiefly diet and weight reduction). Further study is required to clarify whether menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) has a role in dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bogdan Stefanowski
- First Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Sobieskiego 9, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marek Kucharski
- Department of Gynecological Endocrinology, Warsaw Medical University, 00-315 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Szeliga
- Department of Gynecological Endocrinology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-535 Poznan, Poland
| | - Milena Snopek
- First Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Sobieskiego 9, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Kostrzak
- Department of Gynecological Endocrinology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-535 Poznan, Poland
| | - Roman Smolarczyk
- Department of Gynecological Endocrinology, Warsaw Medical University, 00-315 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marzena Maciejewska-Jeske
- Department of Gynecological Endocrinology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-535 Poznan, Poland
| | - Anna Duszewska
- Division of Histology and Embryology, Department of Morphological Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences Warsaw, Poland
| | - Olga Niwczyk
- Department of Gynecological Endocrinology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-535 Poznan, Poland
| | - Slawomir Drozd
- College of Medical Sciences, Institute of Physical Culture Studies, University of Rzeszow, Poland
| | - Monika Englert-Golon
- Surgical Gynecology Clinic, Department of Gynaecology Obstetrics and Gynaecological Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-535 Poznan, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Smolarczyk
- Department of Dermatology Immunodermatology and Venereology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Blazej Meczekalski
- Department of Gynecological Endocrinology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-535 Poznan, Poland.
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Pino JMV, Silva VF, Mônico-Neto M, Seva DC, Kato MY, Alves JN, Pereira GC, Antunes HKM, Galvao TD, Bitterncourt LRA, Tufik S, Zambrano LI, Dâmaso AR, Oyama LM, Thivel D, Campos RMS, Lee KS. Severe Obesity in Women Can Lead to Worse Memory Function and Iron Dyshomeostasis Compared to Lower Grade Obesity. Int J Endocrinol 2023; 2023:7625720. [PMID: 37101600 PMCID: PMC10125754 DOI: 10.1155/2023/7625720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Obesity is one of the modifiable risk factors for dementia. Insulin resistance, the abundance of advanced glycated end-products, and inflammation are some of the mechanisms associated with the lower cognitive performance observed in obesity. This study aims to evaluate the cognitive function of subjects with distinct degrees of obesity, comparing class I and II obesity (OBI/II) to class III obesity (OBIII), and to investigate metabolic markers that can distinguish OBIII from OBI/II. Study Design. This is a cross-sectional study, in which 45 females with BMI varying from 32.8 to 51.9 kg/m2 completed a set of 4 cognitive tests (verbal paired-associate test, stroop color, digit span, and Toulouse-Pieron cancellation test) and their plasma metabolites, enzymes, and hormones related to glycemia, dyslipidemia, and liver function, as well as the biomarkers of iron status, were concomitantly analyzed. Results OBIII showed lower scores in the verbal paired-associate test compared to OBI/II. In other cognitive tests, both groups showed similar performance. OBIII presented a lower iron status compared to OBI/II based on total iron binding capacity, degree of transferrin saturation, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin. The levels of indicators for glycemia, liver function, and lipid metabolism were similar in both groups. Analysis of plasma metabolites showed that OBIII had lower levels of pyroglutamic acid, myoinositol, and aspartic acid and higher levels of D-ribose than OBI/II. Conclusion Iron is an essential micronutrient for several metabolic pathways. Thus, iron dyshomeostasis observed in severe obesity may aggravate the cognitive impairment by altering metabolic homeostasis and enhancing oxidative stress. These findings can contribute to searching for biomarkers that indicate cognitive performance in the population with obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M. V. Pino
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vitória F. Silva
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcos Mônico-Neto
- Post Graduated Program of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Santos, Brazil
- BariMais Clinic-Integrated Medicine, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Danielle C. Seva
- Post Graduated Program of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Santos, Brazil
| | - Melissa Y. Kato
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - July N. Alves
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gabriela C. Pereira
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Hanna Karen M. Antunes
- Post Graduated Program of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Santos, Brazil
| | | | | | - Sergio Tufik
- Department of Psychobiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lysien I. Zambrano
- Institute for Research in Medical Sciences and Right to Health (ICIMEDES)/Scientific Research Unit (UIC), Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM), National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH). Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Honduras
| | - Ana R. Dâmaso
- Post Graduate Program of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lila M. Oyama
- Post Graduate Program of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - David Thivel
- Clermont Auvergne University, EA 3533, Laboratory of the Metabolic Adaptations to Exercise under Physiological and Pathological Conditions (AME2P), CRNH-Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Raquel M. S. Campos
- Post Graduated Program of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Santos, Brazil
| | - Kil S. Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Maki PM, Jaff NG. Brain fog in menopause: a health-care professional's guide for decision-making and counseling on cognition. Climacteric 2022; 25:570-578. [PMID: 36178170 DOI: 10.1080/13697137.2022.2122792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Midlife women commonly experience changes in their cognitive function as they transition through menopause and express concern about whether these changes represent the initial stages of a more serious cognitive disorder. Health-care practitioners play an important role in counseling women on cognitive changes at midlife and normalizing women's experience. The aim of this commissioned International Menopause Society White Paper on cognition is to provide practitioners with an overview of data informing the clinical care of menopausal women and a framework for clinical counseling and decision-making. Among the topics presented are the specific cognitive changes occurring in menopause, the duration of such changes and their severity. The role of estrogen and menopause symptoms is reviewed. We present talking points for clinical counseling on the effects of hormone therapy on cognition and dementia risk in women, including discussion of absolute risk. Lastly, a brief review of modifiable risk factors for age-related cognitive decline and dementia is presented, with guidance for counseling patients on optimizing their brain health at midlife and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Maki
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychology and OB/GYN, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - N G Jaff
- Department of Chemical Pathology, National Health Laboratory Service and University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Abstract
Every woman who lives past midlife will experience menopause, which, by definition, is complete cessation of ovarian function. This process might occur spontaneously (natural menopause) or be iatrogenic (secondary menopause), and can be further classified as 'early' if it occurs before the age of 45 years and 'premature' if it occurs before the age of 40 years. Globally, the mean age of natural menopause is 48.8 years, with remarkably little geographic variation. A woman's age at menopause influences health outcomes in later life. Early menopause is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer, but increased risks of premature osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and premature death. The cardinal symptoms of menopause, and adverse health sequelae, are due to loss of ovarian oestrogen production. Consequently, menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) that includes oestrogen or an oestrogenic compound ameliorates menopausal symptoms, while preventing menopause-associated bone loss and cardiometabolic changes. Importantly, comprehensive care of postmenopausal women involves lifestyle optimization (attention to nutrition and physical activity, reducing alcohol consumption and not smoking) and treating other established chronic disease risk factors. This Review offers a commentary specifically on the contemporary use of MHT and novel pharmaceutical alternatives to manage menopausal symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan R Davis
- Women's Health Research Program, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Rodney J Baber
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Hogervorst E, Craig J, O'Donnell E. Cognition and mental health in menopause: A review. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2021; 81:69-84. [PMID: 34969617 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2021.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive and mood changes are frequently mentioned as complaints before, during and after menopausal transition. There is substantial biological evidence for such associations to occur, as there are many mechanisms through which oestrogens can affect the brain: by regulating metabolism, increasing cerebral blood flow and dendritic outgrowth, by acting on nerve growth factors through the co-localisation of receptors via neurotransmitter synthesis and turnover and many more. However, the evidence for objective and longer-term changes in cognitive function and mental health over the menopausal transition and beyond is less clear. While hormone treatment (HT) including oestrogens could potentially reverse these psychological issues, the evidence of long-term benefit is also inconclusive. However, for women with severe menopausal complaints, and particularly for those who undergo early menopause, including women with premature ovarian insufficiency, personalised HT at least up to the natural age of menopause around 50 should be considered, which is probably safe up to 10 years of treatment, unless contraindicated. This paper reviews the evidence for changes in psychological health related to menopausal transition and HTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eef Hogervorst
- School of Sports Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, UK.
| | - Jen Craig
- School of Sports Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, UK
| | - Emma O'Donnell
- School of Sports Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, UK
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Maki PM, Weber MT. A research primer for studies of cognitive changes across the menopause transition. Climacteric 2021; 24:382-388. [PMID: 34240671 DOI: 10.1080/13697137.2021.1905625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
There has been a proliferation of studies demonstrating important sex differences in cognitive aging and dementia, and with this an increased interest in the role of menopause and sex steroid hormones in women's brain health. Foundational longitudinal studies of cognitive changes from the premenopause to perimenopause stage have shown reliable declines in verbal memory, with variable findings in processing speed, attention/working memory and verbal fluency. Continued research is needed to advance understanding of the range of cognitive domains affected, the duration of cognitive changes, the generalizability of these changes across cultures, the factors that account for such changes and the factors that can improve cognition at this time. In this article, we briefly review and draw on findings from large longitudinal studies of cognitive changes across the menopause transition to inform the design of future studies on this topic. We focus on key issues such as objective versus subjective cognitive measures; cognitive domains and tests; staging menopause; study design; mediators of cognitive effects (including hormones and menopause symptoms); and consideration of key covariates. We suggest that a more uniform and evidence-based approach to the investigation of these issues can advance the quality of the science in menopause and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Maki
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychology and OB/GYN, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - M T Weber
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
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