Menopause is associated with loss of gray matter in key areas of the brain, along with increased anxiety, depression and sleep problems, new research suggests.
The study also found that while hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can slow down the decline in reaction times, it does not seem to alleviate these effects.
Gray matter is brain tissue that contains nerve cell bodies and helps process information, control movement, and manage memory and emotions.
Dr Christel Langley, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, said: menopausewhether you receive HRT or not, it can be a life-changing event.
“A healthy lifestyle – exercise, be active, and eat well.” healthy eatingFor example, it is especially important during this period to reduce some of the impact.
“But we all need to be more sensitive to not just the physical health of menopausal women, but their mental health, and recognize when they are experiencing difficulties.
“There’s no shame in letting others know what you’re going through and asking for help.”
Researchers analyzed data from around 125,000 women from the UK Biobank. The women were divided into three categories: premenopausal, postmenopausal who had never used HRT, or postmenopausal who used HRT.
Participants self-reported their transition experiences by completing a questionnaire. mental healthsleep patterns and overall health.
Some took part in cognitive tests such as memory and reaction time. About 11,000 participants also underwent MRI scans, which allowed researchers to examine the structure of their brains.
Postmenopausal women were more likely than premenopausal women to seek help from their GP or psychiatrist for anxiety, nervousness, and depression, and also scored higher on questionnaires about symptoms of depression.
They were also more likely to be prescribed antidepressants.
Although women in the HRT group had greater anxiety and depression than women in the non-HRT group, further analysis showed that these differences were already present before the transition began.
Researchers suggest that in some cases, women’s GPs may have prescribed HRT in anticipation of worsening symptoms.
Postmenopausal women were more likely to report insomnia, sleep deprivation, and fatigue.
Even though there was no difference in sleep duration between women taking HRT and those not taking it, women taking HRT reported feeling the most fatigued of all three groups.
The researchers found that gray matter volume was significantly reduced in both groups of postmenopausal women.
These differences occurred specifically in the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory formation and storage. The entorhinal cortex is the gateway for passing information between the hippocampus and the rest of the brain. and the anterior cingulate cortex, which helps manage emotions, make decisions, and focus attention.
Postmenopausal women who were not taking HRT had slower response times than women who had not yet started their transition or women who were taking HRT.
However, there were no significant differences between the three groups regarding memory tasks.
Dr Katharina Zuelsdorff, from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Psychology, said: “As we age, our reaction times tend to slow down. This is just part of the natural aging process and occurs in both women and men.”
“Imagine being asked a question on a quiz. While you may still arrive at the correct answer when you’re younger, younger people will definitely arrive at the correct answer much faster.
“Menopause seems to accelerate this process, while HRT appears to slightly slow down and put the brakes on the aging process.”
Professor Barbara Sahakian, from the Department of Psychiatry and senior author of the study, added: alzheimer’s disease.
“Menopause may make these women even more vulnerable in the future.
“Although not all, this may help explain why we are seeing almost twice as many cases. dementia in women More so than men. ”