University of
California, 2009
It might start with forgetting where the keys have been
left, leaving behind the shopping list, or struggling to recall names. Women of
a certain age often complain of becoming forgetful - many fearing it could be
an early sign of Alzheimer's. Now the largest study of its kind confirms
menopausal women do suffer a dip in their ability to learn and retain
information. But the good news is most will recover spontaneously.
Dr Gail Greendale, who led the study of almost 2,500 women, said her findings would strike a chord with millions of women going through the menopause. It concluded that levels of female hormones are the likely cause of memory difficulties just before the menopause begins - a stage known as perimenopausal. She said: “Sixty per cent of women state that they have memory problems during the menopause transition. But the effect of perimenopause on learning seems to be temporary. Our study found that the amount of learning improved back to pre-menopausal levels during the postmenopausal stage.”
University of
Rochester Medical Center, 2012
The memory problems and “brain fog” that many women describe
while going through menopause have been explained by scientists at the
University of Rochester Medical Center and the University of Illinois at
Chicago in a new study.
“The most important thing to realize is that there really
are some cognitive changes that occur during this phase in a woman’s life,”
said Miriam Weber, Ph.D., the neuropsychologist at the University of
Rochester Medical Center who led the study.
“If a woman approaching menopause feels she is having memory
problems, no one should brush it off or attribute it to a jam-packed schedule.
She can find comfort in knowing that there are new research findings that
support her experience. She can view her experience as normal.”
For the study, 75 women, between the ages of 40 and 60,
completed a series of cognitive tests that tested several skills, including the
ability to learn and retain new information, to mentally manipulate new
information, and to sustain attention over time. They answered questions about depression, anxiety,
hot flashes, and sleep difficulties, and their blood levels of the
hormones estradiol and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were measured.
The researchers found that the women’s complaints were tied
to certain types of memory deficits, but not others. For example, women who
self-reported memory difficulties were far more likely to do poorly in tests
designed to measure “working memory” – the ability to receive new information
and manipulate it in their heads. In real life this might include figuring out
the tip at a restaurant, adding up a series of numbers in one’s head, or
adjusting one’s itinerary in a short time after an unexpected flight change.
Women’s reports of memory difficulties were also linked to a
lessened ability to hold and focus attention on a challenging task. This might
include doing the taxes, maintaining sharp attention on the road during a long
drive, finishing a complex report at work despite boredom, or sticking with a
particularly challenging book.
Weber said that these types of cognitive processes aren’t
what usually come to mind when people think of “memory.” For example, people
often consider memory to be the ability to remember a piece of information,
such as a grocery item you need to remember to buy. Interestingly, the researchers
found little evidence that women have difficulties with this ability. Weber
notes, however, that the women in the study were more highly educated and, on
average, were of higher intelligence than the average population, and a decline
might have been difficult to detect.
University of
Pennsylvania, 2012
Certain aspects of cognitive function related to memory
declined significantly in women during the transition from pre- to
postmenopausal status, another comprehensive neuropsychiatric assessment
showed. Specifically, the ability to remember word lists declined significantly
on tests of immediate and delayed recall. The decline was greatest during the
early stages of transition to menopausal status.
Race significantly influenced performance on all but one of
the tasks, as African-American women consistently had lower scores, even though
the association between menopausal status and recall was similar in
African-American and Caucasian women.
"These data confirm that the natural transition to
menopause exerts a negative impact on immediate and delayed verbal
recall," C. Neill Epperson, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania in
Philadelphia, and co-authors concluded. "Whether this decline can be
generalized to other types of verbal memory and whether it stabilizes in the
early years of the postmenopausal period is not yet known."
"The differences in cognitive performance between
African-American and Caucasian women were not explained by factors examined in
this study, but are of important public health concern that warrants further
investigation," they added.
Many women have reported a subjective decline in memory
during menopause. Whether the decline can be confirmed by objective measures,
remains controversial. Estradiol affects brain chemistry and function,
suggesting decreased ovarian hormone production as a potential contributor to
worsening memory, irrespective of aging, the authors noted.
Preventive Measures
If you are at menopausal stage and you feel your memory is
not as efficient as it used to be you may use the following 15 simple
recommendations to keep your mind sharp:
1. Teach yourself an old memory trick. Known as
"method of loci" (it goes back to the ancient Greeks), this helps you
remember—in specific order—lists of names, places, or chores. Here's how to do
it: Take an imaginary walk along a familiar path. Assign the first item on your
list to a landmark along the way, and continue assigning items to landmarks as
you go along.
For example, your to-do list: Make a dentist appointment,
pick up dry cleaning, phone your mother. Now visualize a familiar route—the one
you'd take from your home to the grocery store works fine for this exercise.
Then visualize each item on your list, and assign it a place along your route.
For example, your driveway is "call the dentist." Put "pick up
dry cleaning" at the intersection of your driveway and the street you live
on. At the big tree down the street, place "phone your mother," and
so forth. Mentally run through your route and your list a few times, and it
will lock itself into your mind.
2. Pay more attention. Your attention span may have
suffered as a result of menopause so this may seem difficult at first, but it
is vital that you listen to the information that you take in. You can't retain
new information if your brain hasn't the opportunity to encode it in the first
place. It will take the brain eight seconds of intense concentration to process
the information as a short term memory. Limit distractions, and don't try to do
too many things at once. If you focus on the information that you're trying to
remember, you'll be more likely to recall it later.
3. Use all your Senses. You are much more likely to
remember information if you use as many of your senses as possible. The
majority of information that women will forget during menopause has been
conveyed to them in visual or audio form. If you record the information in a
second way - writing it down, or relating it to a smell, then you will have
more chance of recalling it later on, because you will have helped to imprint
the information in your brain.
4. Use old information to retain new. Use old
knowledge to help you maintain new knowledge. You will just be adding to
information that is already stored rather than creating a new memory.
Alternatively, use old knowledge to make connections to new memories. For
example, if you want to remember a new address, then make a point of connecting
that new address with a location nearby that you are already aware of.
5. Active lifestyle. In one study, researchers found that people were less likely to develop
dementia if they participated in some type of leisure time activity. The
chances of developing dementia got lower with each additional activity a person
participated in. To lower your chances of developing severe memory loss, the
more activities you are involved in throughout your life, the lower your risk
may be. This suggests that just as with physical health, a healthy memory requires
you to use it or lose it!
6. Exercise. Working out improves circulation,
which is probably connected to preserving acuity. Walking, swimming,
gardening—it doesn't matter which activity you choose, as long as you engage in
it on a regular basis.
7. Blood pressure.
Lower your blood pressure and improve your memory. In a study of 200 men and
women, those with even moderately high blood pressure (164/89) had more memory
problems than those with normal blood pressures. A small amount of motherwort
tincture (Leonurus cardiaca) daily dependably lowers blood pressure and can
generally be used safely with drugs if desired.
8. Learn something new. Research shows that
mental exercise also helps keep your mind sharp. Attend a class or two, travel,
work on crossword puzzles, read challenging books or magazines—whatever it
takes. Keep your brain active by enjoying interesting activities that make you
think.
9. Laughter therapy.
One of the recent studies shows that laughter can be used quite efficiently
against the memory loss. This is the harmless, and this is good for your health
in multiple dimensions.
10. Get a good night's sleep. Sleep is essential for
memory consolidation as well as overall health. Although people vary widely in
their individual sleep needs, research suggests that six to eight hours of
sleep a night is ideal. Perhaps even more important than the amount of sleep is
the quality of sleep. People with breathing problems during sleep, such as
obstructive sleep apnea, can sleep for 10 hours per night but never feel
refreshed in the morning. Of course, for some people, getting a good night's
sleep is easier said than done, especially because e insomnia becomes more
common with age.
11. Consider ginkgo biloba. This herb helps
improve memory by increasing the flow of red blood cells to the brain. New
studies suggest that ginkgo also acts on brain cells directly to boost mental
sharpness and concentration. Note that it is recommended to check with your doctor
first if you're taking any blood-thinning medication, including low-dose
aspirin.
12. Eat berries. Blueberries are an especially
good memory food: Researchers discovered that a blueberry-rich diet actually
reversed short-term memory loss in aging rats.
13. Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol's damaging
effects on brain cells are well established in the medical literature. If
you're concerned about preserving your memory, limit yourself to one glass of
wine just a few days a week.
14. Quit smoking.
Studies show that smokers don't remember people's names and faces as well as
nonsmokers do. No one knows whether smoking directly impairs memory or is
merely associated with memory loss because it causes illnesses that contribute
to memory loss. Smoking is especially common among people who are depressed,
and depression weakens the memory. In addition, smoking increases the risk for
stroke and hypertension, two other causes of memory impairment. Smoking can
interfere with memory in other ways, too. For one thing, it damages the lungs,
and good lung function is one of the characteristics of people whose memories
stay strong in old age. In addition, smoking constricts the blood vessels to
the brain, depriving it of oxygen and possibly harming neurons.
15. Ease up. Chronic exposure to the hormones
released during stress affects brain function. In fact, one of these hormones,
cortisol, prevents the brain from laying down new memory. To defuse stress,
learn and regularly practice relaxation techniques such as meditation or yoga.
Sources and Additional
Information: