title: Identifying brain functional alterations in postmenopausal women with cognitive impairment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gender differences and menopause are associated with the cognitive decline and pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although deficits of subcortical-cortical loops have been implicated in AD, no study has directly examined the resting-state brain functional alterations in postmenopausal women with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight subjects were recruited, including 15 older females with MCI, 13 older females without MCI, 10 older males with MCI and 10 older males without MCI. Full-scale neuropsychological tests were used to evaluate cognitive function. Resting-state fMRI and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) approach were used to investigate changes in the brain function in these subjects. A voxel-wise analysis of variance (ANOVA: gender × disease) was performed, and gender-brain-behavior relationships were further examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  First, older females with MCI showed cognitive dysfunction in multiple domains compared to normal controls. Second, the brain function of subcortical-cortical loops was disrupted in older females with MCI. Finally, regional resting-state function of the left precuneus was significantly associated with altered episodic memory in these female patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study revealed the patterns of neural networks in older females with cognitive disorders, and may provide new ideas and evidence regarding the mechanism of cognitive impairment in postmenopausal women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Xueping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: jsnt_zhangyuquan@ntu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yuquan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D059906:Neuroimaging; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Brain function; Cognitive impairment; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Postmenopausal women