Estrogen and cognition, with a focus on Alzheimer's disease.
Cognitive aging is associated with decreases in memory, attention, and visual/motor performance and skills. Dementia consists of loss of memory and other cognitive abilities, associated with social or occupational impairment. Potential neuroprotective effects of estrogen include lowering beta-amyloid, enhancing cholinergic function, promoting synaptic plasticity and nerve process growth, reducing oxidative stress, and enhancing brain glucose transport. Observational and longitudinal studies suggest that hormone therapy may attenuate age-associated cognitive impairment or decrease Alzheimer's disease but this has not been confirmed by randomized clinical trials. A critical window of time may exist around the menopause when hormone therapy may delay or decrease cognitive changes; however, hormone therapy initiated in the late postmenopause does not improve global cognition and may increase dementia risk.
Pinkerton
Joann V
JV
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Virginia Health System, Midlife Health Center, 2955 Ivy Road Suite 104, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA. jvp9u@virginia.edu
Henderson
Victor W
VW
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
D004967:Estrogens