05/02/2024

‘Menopause Brain’ is Real

Here’s how women’s brains change in midlife

For decades, some doctors have told women that the brain fog, insomnia and mood swings they experience in midlife are “all in their heads.” Now, emerging brain research shows they’re right — but not because women are imagining it.

Brain imaging studies of women — conducted before, during and after menopause — reveal dramatic physical changes in structure, connectivity and energy metabolism. These changes are not only visible on the scans, but many women can also feel them, said Lisa Mosconi, a neuroscientist and author of the book "The Menopause Brain."

"Menopause does impact the brain," said Mosconi, an associate professor of neurology and radiology at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. "We're not crazy. We're not losing our minds."

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.