Estrogen and cognition: applying preclinical findings to clinical perspectives

The effects of hormone replacement therapy on brain aging and cognition are an important public health issue, which, despite much research and debate, has not yet been resolved. In this Mini-Review, we describe how much of the clinical literature takes on new meaning when interpreted in light of recent preclinical data. We predict, based on these data, that hormone replacement therapy will in fact provide substantial benefit with respect to age-related cognitive decline, provided that therapy is administered in an appropriate regimen and is initiated within a window of time following the loss of ovarian function. The application of these data to recent clinical findings is discussed.