title: Estrogens, inflammation and cognition.
abstract: The effects of estrogens are pleiotropic, affecting multiple bodily systems. Changes from the body's natural fluctuating levels of estrogens, through surgical removal of the ovaries, natural menopause, or the administration of exogenous estrogens to menopausal women have been independently linked to an altered immune profile, and changes to cognitive processes. Here, we propose that inflammation may mediate the relationship between low levels of estrogens and cognitive decline. In order to determine what is known about this connection, we review the literature on the cognitive effects of decreased estrogens due to oophorectomy or natural menopause, decreased estrogens' role on inflammation--both peripherally and in the brain--and the relationship between inflammation and cognition. While this review demonstrates that much is unknown about the intersection between estrogens, cognition, inflammation, we propose that there is an important interaction between these literatures.
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, 4F Sidney Smith Hall, Dept. of Psychology, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada. Electronic address: april.au@mail.utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: April
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Au
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, 4F Sidney Smith Hall, Dept. of Psychology, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada. Electronic address: afeher2@uwo.ca.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feher
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, 4F Sidney Smith Hall, Dept. of Psychology, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada. Electronic address: lucy.mcphee@mail.utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McPhee
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, 4F Sidney Smith Hall, Dept. of Psychology, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada. Electronic address: ailya.jessa@mail.utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Ailya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jessa
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, 4F Sidney Smith Hall, Dept. of Psychology, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada. Electronic address: soojin.oh@mail.utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Soojin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, 4F Sidney Smith Hall, Dept. of Psychology, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada. Electronic address: gillian.einstein@utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Einstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism*; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens
keywords: Cognition; Dementia; Estrogens; Hormone therapy; Inflammation; Neuroinflammation