Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 26, 2026

An In Vivo Estrogen Deficiency Mouse Model for Screening Exogenous Estrogen Treatments of Cardiovascular Dysfunction After Menopause
Published on: August 13, 2019
Estrogen and neurodegeneration
1Faber Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107-5587, USA. Sam.Gandy@mail.tju.edu
Abstract:
Although estrogen is best known for its effects on the maturation and differentiation of the primary and secondary sex organs, increasing evidence suggests that its influence extends beyond this system, and its activity in the CNS may initiate, or influence our susceptibility to neurodegenerative decline. Estrogen has been proposed to act as a neuroprotectant at several levels, and it is probable that deprivation of estrogen as a result of menopause exposes the aging or diseased brain to several insults. In addition, estrogen deprivation is likely to initiate or enhance degenerative changes caused by oxidative stress, and to reduce the brain's ability to maintain synaptic connectivity and cholinergic integrity leading to the cognitive decline seen in aged and disease-afflicted individuals.
Related Concept Videos
Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Neural Regulation
Neurotransmitters
Menopause
Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ and tau...

