Journal article
A cross-sectional study of hormone treatment and hippocampal volume in postmenopausal women: Evidence for a limited window of opportunity
Neuropsychology, Vol.24(1), pp.68-76
01/2010
DOI: 10.1037/a0017292
PMCID: PMC2843433
PMID: 20063947
Abstract
The influence of hormone treatment on brain and cognition in postmenopausal women has been a controversial topic. Contradictory patterns of results have prompted speculation that a critical period, or a limited window of opportunity, exists for hormone treatment to protect against cognitive and neural decline in older women. Consistent with this hypothesis, studies in both humans and rodents indicate that the latency between the time of menopause and the initiation of hormone treatment is an important factor in determining whether hormone treatment will prevent or exacerbate cognitive impairment. In this cross-sectional study of 102 postmenopausal women, we examined whether hippocampal, amygdala, or caudate nucleus volumes and spatial memory performance were related to the interval between menopause and the initiation of hormone treatment. Consistent with a critical period hypothesis, we found that shorter intervals between menopause and the initiation of hormone treatment, as determined by self-report, were associated with larger hippocampal volumes compared with longer intervals between menopause and treatment initiation. Initiation of hormone treatment at the time of menopause was also associated with larger hippocampal volumes when compared to peers who had never used hormone treatment. Furthermore, these effects were independent from potentially confounding factors such as age, years of education, the duration of hormone treatment, current or past use of hormone therapy, the type of therapy, and the age at menopause. Larger hippocampal volumes in women who initiated hormone treatment at the time of menopause failed to translate to improved spatial memory performance. There was no relationship between the timing of hormone initiation, spatial memory performance, and amygdala or caudate nucleus volume. Our results provide support for the idea that there is a limited window of opportunity at the time of menopause for hormone treatment to influence hippocampal volume, yet the degree to which these effects translate to improved memory performance is uncertain.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- A cross-sectional study of hormone treatment and hippocampal volume in postmenopausal women: Evidence for a limited window of opportunity
- Creators
- Kirk I Erickson - Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of IllinoisMichelle W Voss - Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of IllinoisRuchika S Prakash - Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of IllinoisLaura Chaddock - Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of IllinoisArthur F Kramer - Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Neuropsychology, Vol.24(1), pp.68-76
- DOI
- 10.1037/a0017292
- PMID
- 20063947
- PMCID
- PMC2843433
- NLM abbreviation
- Neuropsychology
- ISSN
- 0894-4105
- eISSN
- 1931-1559
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000049, name: National Institute on Aging, award: RO1 AG25667; RO1 AG25302
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/2010
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984002347202771
Metrics
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