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Menopause Temporarily Alters Brain's Normal Aging, Study Finds
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In Short: A groundbreaking brain scan study has revealed that the onset of menopause may temporarily alter the brain's normal aging process, according to a report by ScienceAlert.
When the transition to menopause begins, the gradual loss of cortical volume that typically occurs with age inexplicably slows down, researchers found.
The study, which followed participants over several years, showed widespread reductions in brain volume during key transitional life phases.
Participants self-reported their stage of menopause, and their hormone levels were not measured, but the repeated brain scans over time strengthened the results.
Some participants entered menopause during the course of the study, allowing researchers to observe changes in brain volume as menopause began.
The female brain experiences unexpected alterations during the transition to menopause, according to the findings.
During puberty and pregnancy, the female body undergoes significant hormonal changes, with a steep rise in estrogens and progesterone, which can bind to receptors in the brain.
However, when menopause arrives, the brain's normal aging process seems to be temporarily altered, as sex steroid hormones decline and gray matter losses slow.
The study adds to existing research, such as a 2018 study that found gray matter loss to the hippocampus accelerates during the transition to menopause.
What's still developing
- Nothing material beyond the confirmed record.
Sources
- ScienceAlertlink