Effects of estrogen replacement therapy on human brain aging: an in vivo 1H MRS study.
Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) may preserve cognitive function in postmenopausal women, but the mechanism is unknown. Thus, the authors studied aging of parietal lobe and hippocampus using proton MR spectroscopy. ERT naïve postmenopausal women had a significant increase in choline-containing compounds (Cho) compared to long-term ERT users and young women. Cho reflects increased neuronal/glial membrane turnover. Thus, ERT's "neuroprotective" effect may include modulating the effects of age on neural integrity in brain regions involved in cognitive function.
Robertson
D M
DM
Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK. sphadmr@iop.kcl.ac.uk
van Amelsvoort
T
T
Daly
E
E
Simmons
A
A
Whitehead
M
M
Morris
R G
RG
Murphy
K C
KC
Murphy
D G
DG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects; D012016:Reference Values
D002794:Choline