Early menopausal hormone use influences brain regions used for visual working memory

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Endocrinology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• The cognitive effects of postmenopausal hormone therapy are debated.
• Early initiation of hormone therapy near menopause may preserve cognitive function.
• This study investigates the impact of long-term, early-initiated hormone use on visual working memory.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the effects of early-initiation hormone use on visual working memory.
• To hypothesize that long-term hormone use is associated with greater brain activation during visual working memory tasks.
• To compare brain activity in long-term hormone users (current and past) versus never users.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional comparison of 55 women over 60: current hormone users (n=13), past users (n=24), and never users (n=18).
• Participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a visual memory task.
• Hormone users had taken conjugated equine estrogens for at least 10 continuous years, initiated within 2 years of menopause.

Main Results:

• Hormone users exhibited increased activation in frontal, parietal cortices, insula, hippocampus, and cingulate compared to never users.
• Combined hormone users showed additional activation in the putamen and raphe.
• Medial temporal cortex and right hippocampus activation positively correlated with task performance.

Conclusions:

• Postmenopausal hormone use was linked to heightened brain activation in visual working memory regions.
• Early-initiation, long-term hormone use may offer benefits for visual working memory.
• Increased brain activation correlated with better task performance, supporting a cognitive advantage.