Selective sparing of brain tissue in postmenopausal women receiving hormone replacement therapy.
Determining the benefits and/or drawbacks of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on women's health is an imperative public health goal. Research in rodents suggests benefits of estrogen on neuronal growth and function. However, little research has investigated the effects of HRT on brain tissue in humans. We used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging and an optimized voxel-based morphometric technique to examine the effects of HRT on brain volume in postmenopausal women. We report two main results: (a) HRT is associated with the sparing of grey matter in prefrontal, parietal, and temporal brain regions and white matter in medial temporal lobe regions, and (b) longer durations of therapy are associated with greater sparing of grey matter tissue. HRT should be considered a possible mediator of age-related neural decline in both grey and white matter tissues.
Erickson
Kirk I
KI
Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 61801, USA. kiericks@uiuc.edu
Colcombe
Stanley J
SJ
Raz
Naftali
N
Korol
Donna L
DL
Scalf
Paige
P
Webb
Andrew
A
Cohen
Neal J
NJ
McAuley
Edward
E
Kramer
Arthur F
AF
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008875:Middle Aged; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones