title: Language performance in postmenopausal women with and without hormone therapy and men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the current study, we explored the potential effects of hormone therapy (HT) on language functioning in healthy, postmenopausal women and compared them with men of similar ages.
  
  
  METHODS
  Language functioning on tasks of verbal fluency and object naming was examined in 100 participants (mean age: 61.9 years; 33 HT users, 15 HT non-users and 52 men) at baseline and follow-up (mean follow-up time period: 2.6 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, men had higher composite language scores than HT users. However, HT users demonstrated more improvement over time compared with men, whereas HT non-users performed similarly to men, with no improvement over time. Longer duration of HT use was not associated with improved performance on language tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest an association between HT use and better language ability in postmenopausal women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA.
authors.forename: Grace J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Pepperdine University, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA.
authors.forename: Ashley R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Curiel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA ; Longevity Center Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA.
authors.forename: Karen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Stacy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amano
authors.affiliation: Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gorsuch
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA ; Longevity Center Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA.
authors.forename: Gary W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Small
keywords: cognitive decline; estrogen; hormone therapy; language functioning; postmenopausal women