While it’s typical for some menopausal women to experience memory loss, a Toronto study will explore if there are any links to Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at Toronto Metropolitan University have observed an “age-related decline” at postmenopause in women. “So we’re starting to think of it as an inflection point in accelerated aging in some females,” Natasha Rajah, psychology professor and the study’s principal investigator, told CTV’s Your Morning on Thursday. Her study, the Brain Health at Midlife and Menopause (BHAMM) Study, uses brain imaging to explore how menopause impacts memory and brain activity. The study, so far, has produced four papers on brain, memory and dementia prevention. Researchers have discovered a link to poor vascular health and memory loss in postmenopause. They also say that being bilingual or knowing multiple languages may help with cognitive control. Now, the team will examine whether changes during menopause are linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease later in life. Rajah clarified that this doesn’t mean that most women would develop Alzheimer’s disease after going through menopause. She added that the “brain fog” and other cognitive impacts typically experienced during the process are, for most women, transitional. “What we’re really trying to do is use brain imaging and really sensitive cognitive tests to differentiate what is normative from what is pathological,” she said. Rajah explained that the research requires longitudinal study, in which, the memory of the same women are examined before, during, and after menopause. The next steps will to be understand how menopause is experienced by women in different communities, she said. For example, that may involve exploring differences in the average ages of menopause, Rajah added. Watch the full interview with Natasha Rajah at the top of the article.
