Dorsal brain activity reflects the severity of menopausal symptoms

The severity of menopausal symptoms, despite being triggered by hormonal imbalance, does not directly correspond to hormone levels in the blood; thus, the level of unpleasantness is assessed using subjective questionnaires in clinical practice. To provide better treatments, alternative objective assessments have been anticipated to support medical interviews and subjective assessments. This study aimed to develop a new objective measurement for assessing unpleasantness.

Fourteen participants with menopausal symptoms and two age-matched participants who visited our outpatient section were enrolled. Resting-state brain activity was measured using magnetoencephalography. The level of unpleasantness of menopausal symptoms was measured using the Kupperman Kohnenki Shogai Index. The blood level of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone were also measured. Correlation analyses were performed between the oscillatory power of brain activity, index score, and hormone levels.

The level of unpleasantness of menopausal symptoms was positively correlated with high-frequency oscillatory powers in the parietal and bordering cortices (alpha; P = 0.016, beta; P = 0.015, low gamma; P = 0.010). The follicle-stimulating hormone blood level was correlated with high-frequency oscillatory powers in the dorsal part of the cortex (beta; P = 0.008, beta; P = 0.005, low gamma; P = 0.017), whereas luteinizing hormone blood level was not correlated.

Resting-state brain activity can serve as an objective measurement of unpleasantness associated with menopausal symptoms, which aids the selection of appropriate treatment and monitors its outcome.