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Published on: February 14, 2014
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Cognitive trajectories during the menopausal transition
Stephanie Than1,2,3, Chris Moran1,2,3,4, Richard Beare1,3,5
1Academic Unit, Peninsula Clinical School, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Frontiers in Dementia
|July 31, 2024
Summary
Cognitive decline during menopause varies. Postmenopausal women showed the slowest decline in reaction time compared to premenopausal women, suggesting psychomotor speed is sensitive to the menopausal transition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Women's Health
Background:
- Female sex is linked to higher dementia prevalence.
- Menopause may influence cognitive differences and dementia risk.
- Understanding cognitive changes during the menopausal transition is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if cognitive decline rates differ across menopausal stages.
- To analyze the impact of menopause on various cognitive functions.
Main Methods:
- 15,486 women from UK Biobank were stratified by menopausal status (pre-, peri-, post-).
- Longitudinal cognitive function (reaction time, reasoning, memory, attention) was assessed over 8 years.
- Models were adjusted for age, education, ethnicity, APOEε4, menopausal hormonal therapy (MHT), and brain MRI volumes.
Main Results:
- An interaction between menopausal status and time affected reaction time (p < 0.01).
- Postmenopausal women exhibited the slowest increase (worsening) in reaction time compared to premenopausal women (β = -1.07, p=0.02).
- Perimenopausal and postmenopausal women showed poorer overall fluid intelligence and memory, but similar rates of change compared to premenopausal women.
Conclusions:
- Perimenopause and post-menopause are associated with cognitive changes.
- Psychomotor speed is particularly sensitive to the menopausal transition.
- Further research with advanced neuroimaging is needed to understand the neural basis.
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