Menopause age, type may be linked to cognitive performance
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In a recent study, the age that women reached menopause and the type of menopause experienced appeared to impact their cognition as they grew older.
“Generally, earlier versus later menopause is associated with poorer cognitive performance post-menopause,” Louisa Needham, a PhD student in the Medical Research Council Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at University College of London, said during a prerecorded presentation for the virtual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. “However, it is unclear whether menopause timing associates with dementia risk.”
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The researchers analyzed data from a small group of participants within the 1946 British Birth Cohort, a demographically diverse group that researchers have followed for decades, according to U.K. Research and Innovation. Previous studies involving cohort participants have indicated that “a better cognition in childhood predicted a later age at menopause and that childhood cognition is one of the strongest predictors of cognition in later life,” Needham said.
For the new study, the researchers assessed memory, executive function, attention, visuospatial function, processing speed and nonverbal reasoning of 243 women in the cohort. They used the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (ACE-III) to measure the participants’ cognitive state. The women were aged 69 to 71 years when they took the tests.
Needham and colleagues reported that later menopause was linked to better cognitive performance at an older age, while surgical menopause was linked to worse cognitive performance.
After accounting for childhood cognition, the links remained between menopause age and total ACE-III ( = 0.012; 95% CI, 0.001-0.023), ACE-III visuospatial function ( = 0.012; 95% CI, 0-0.023) and response inhibition ( = 0.034; 95% CI, 0.008-0.061) and between menopause type and response inhibition ( = –0.368; 95% CI, –0.665 to –0.07). After full adjustments, the links persisted between menopause age and ACE-III memory ( = 0.011; 95% CI, 0-0.023). Intra-individual variability in cognitive test reaction times were also linked to age at menopause ( = –0.049; 95% CI, –0.079 to –0.019) and type ( = 0.413; 95% CI, 0.076-0.75).
The reasons for the associations are not “fully explained” by childhood cognition and other lifetime events, according to the researchers.
References:
Needham L, et al. Menopause and later-life cognition: Findings from the longest-running population-based birth cohort. Presented at: Alzheimer’s Association International Conference; July 26-30, 2021 (virtual meeting).
U.K. Innovation and Research. https://mrc.ukri.org/research/facilities-and-resources-for-researchers/cohort-directory/mrc-national-survey-of-health-and-development-cohort-1946-birth-cohort-nshd-1946bc. MRC National Survey of Health and Development Cohort /1946 Birth Cohort (NSHD/ 1946BC). Accessed July 29, 2021.
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Studies in animals and people have raised the possibility that an older age at menopause may be associated with better cognitive performance, while surgical menopause may be associated with worse cognitive performance at those ages. This study by Needham and colleagues capitalized on a study of a larger number of healthy volunteers who have been studied over many years to support that possibility, demonstrating an impact on memory menopausal age and type memory, attention and reaction time.
Additional studies are needed to confirm these findings in even more research participants who are studied over many years, clarify whether the nature of the brain changes to which the cognitive changes are related to (eg, Alzheimer’s disease, cerebrovascular disease or an impact on cognitive and performance and aging that is not due to an age-related disease), and the best ways in which to treat or prevent clinically significant problems.
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