title: Estrogen exposures and memory at midlife: a population-based study of women.
abstract: Estrogen loss after natural menopause is hypothesized to impair episodic memory. A total of 326 women aged 52 to 63 years participating in the Melbourne Women's Midlife Health Project completed a word list memory task. Estrogen exposures were inferred from menopausal status, time from final menstrual period, use of hormone therapy, serum estradiol concentration, and other indices. Memory did not vary significantly with most exposures. The authors conclude that episodic verbal memory assessed by word list learning is not substantially affected during the menopausal transition or in the years immediately after natural menopause.
authors.affiliation: Donald W. Reynolds Center on Aging, Department of Geriatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA. vhenderson@uams.edu
authors.forename: V W
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Guthrie
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Dudley
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Burger
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dennerstein
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D010298:Parity; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000523:psychology; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis; D014706:Verbal Learning; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D004958:Estradiol