"The menopause is linked to changes in the brain similar to those seen in Alzheimer's, according to a large UK study. The loss of grey matter in areas involved with memory and emotion might partly explain why women are generally at greater risk of dementia than men, researchers speculate. The findings come from nearly 125,000 women, of whom 11,000 had MRI brain scans."
"The brain regions where we saw these differences are ones that tend to be affected by Alzheimer's disease. Menopause could make these women vulnerable further down the line. While not the whole story, it may help explain why we see almost twice as many cases of dementia in women than in men. The brain changes occurred in: an area which has a major role in learning and memory - the hippocampus a region essential for forming memories and spatial navigation - the entorhinal cortex"
Nearly 125,000 women were analyzed, including about 11,000 who underwent MRI brain scans. Menopause was associated with loss of grey matter in regions involved in memory and emotion. Affected areas included the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex. Those regions are commonly affected in Alzheimer's disease and could partly explain higher dementia rates in women than in men. Hormone replacement therapy did not appear to prevent the grey matter loss. Women using HRT were more likely to report poor mental health, although many had pre-existing mental health issues prior to HRT prescription. White and grey matter serve distinct neural functions.
Read at www.bbc.com
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