title: Estrogen replacement therapy and cognitive functions in healthy postmenopausal women: a randomized trial.
abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of estrogen replacement therapy on verbal cognitive performance of middle-aged postmenopausal women. Middle-aged (40 to 59 years) hysterectomized, oligosymptomatic women receiving 0.625 mg/day of conjugated equine estrogens (N = 27) or placebo (N = 32) in a double-blind parallel group design were compared according to their performance on a verbal memory battery before and after six 28-day cycles of treatment. Both groups had similar age and educational level. The estrogen group performed better on digit span-forward and on the recall of the easy stimuli on the verbal-paired associates test regardless of age, education, physical symptoms, number of years of menopause, or blood estradiol levels. However, the small magnitude of difference in the effect on attentional span suggests that the estrogen-related improvement is unlikely to be of clinical relevance. Estrogen replacement therapy did not improve verbal memory in middle-aged, hysterectomized, postmenopausal, asymptomatic women.
authors: Instituto de Psiquiatria, São Paulo, Brazil. cgorenst@usp.br
authors: Clarice
authors: C
authors: Gorenstein
authors: Joel
authors: J
authors: Rennó
authors: Antônio Hélio Guerra
authors: AH
authors: Vieira Filho
authors: Arlete
authors: A
authors: Gianfaldoni
authors: Marcelo Alfonso
authors: MA
authors: Gonçalves
authors: Hans Wolfgang
authors: HW
authors: Halbe
authors: César Eduardo
authors: CE
authors: Fernandes
authors: Frederico Navas
authors: FN
authors: Demétrio
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D004967:Estrogens / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP); D004958:Estradiol