Menopause May Hold Clues to Women's Alzheimer's Risk
New $3.4 million NIH-funded research at Rosalind Franklin University will examine how hormonal changes during perimenopause affect brain circuits involved in memory.
Women account for nearly two-thirds of Americans living with Alzheimer's disease, and scientists at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFU) are investigating whether hormonal changes during menopause may hold part of the answer.
Holly Hunsberger, PhD, an assistant professor at RFU, has received a five-year, $3.4 million grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIH). The funding will support research into how changes in brain activity during perimenopause may contribute to increased vulnerability to Alzheimer's disease.
Perimenopause, the transitional period leading to menopause, is marked by fluctuations in ovarian hormones, particularly estrogen, which play important roles in brain function. While some women experience minimal memory or thinking changes, others report significant difficulties. However, the scientific understanding of how this transition affects the brain's neural networks and whether these changes contribute to Alzheimer's remains incomplete.
Dr. Hunsberger's research will concentrate on the hippocampus, a brain region critical for learning and memory. Her team will investigate how hormonal shifts impact communication between brain cells and whether disruptions in these connections might accelerate changes associated with Alzheimer's disease.