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Scientists have discovered that menopause can lead to memory loss in women.
A recently published study points out that menopause can lead to memory loss in women, as estrogen levels begin to drop.
Although common knowledge dictates that the fairer sex has less memory-related issues compared to men, this recent study seems to prove that after the estrogen levels begin to drop, middle-aged women are more prone to memory loss issue than men.
However, the study did indicate that even though menopause is linked to memory deficits, women still managed to outperform men in memory tests. The study in question was performed by a team of scientists from Harvard Medical School, and their findings were published in the journal Menopause, on the 9th of November.
Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, the executive director of NAMS (North American Menopause Society), which was not directly involved in the study, stated that memory loss or “brain fog” are often symptoms associated with menopause, and should not be taken likely.
To test out which of the two sexes were more likely to be subjected to memory loss after menopause hit, the team of scientists, led by Dr. Jill Goldstein, enlisted the help of 212 female and male candidates.
In order to ascertain their memory skills, the team passed down test to all candidates. These tests were designed to analyze the candidates’ executive functions, verbal intelligence, and word processing skills. All candidates had ages between 45 and 55 years old.
The results revealed that women who underwent menopause had worse memory-related skills than those haven’t. In addition, scientists pointed out that as the level of estrogen begins to drop, memory skills begin to falter as well.
Goldstein and her team stated that even though the candidates scored low on their memory and thinking tests, their memory consolidation and storage skills were not affected.
Furthermore, the lead researcher also wanted to point out that even though female candidates who underwent menopause were more forgetful, they still obtained a higher score than the male candidates.
The study’s results may help doctors develop gender-based therapies for middle-aged people who show signs of memory loss. However, as Goldstein and her team pointed out, when it comes to memory, nothing is for certain, thus prompting the public not to take the study’s results for granted.
Additional research is needed in order to ascertain whether postmenopausal symptoms are related to other mental disorders as well.
Image source: Pixabay
