Previous studies have suggested that changes in hormone levels that occur after menopause may influence cognition and mood. Victor Henderson, from Stanford University (California, USA), and colleagues analyzed data collected on 643 healthy postmenopausal women, ages 41 t0 84 years who were not on hormone replacement therapy, who were enrolled in the Early Versus Late Intervention Trial with Estradiol (ELITE) study. The researchers conducted neuropsychological tests to gauge memory and cognition, and screened for various hormone levels: estradiol, estrone, progesterone, testosterone, and sex hormone-binding globulin. They found that levels of progesterone appeared to be tied to verbal memory and global cognition among women who were in early postmenopause. The higher the levels of progesterone, , the better the outcomes on tests of verbal memory and global cognition in these younger women.
Progesterone May Preserve Memory & Cognition
Henderson VW, St John JA, Hodis HN, McCleary CA, Stanczyk FZ, Karim R, Shoupe D, Kono N, Dustin L, Allayee H, Mack WJ. “Cognition, mood, and physiological concentrations of sex hormones in the early and late postmenopause.” Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Nov 25.
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