A5029041481- Menopause: Health Impacts and Treatments
- Estrogen and related hormone effects
- Cancer-related cognitive impairment studies
- Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Sleep and related disorders
- Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Endometriosis Research and Treatment
- Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- BRCA gene mutations in cancer
- Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
- Ovarian function and disorders
- Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Health, Environment, Cognitive Aging
- Hypothalamic control of reproductive hormones
- Reproductive Health and Contraception
- Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
University of Toronto
2018-2025
Women with early bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO; removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes) have greater Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk than women in spontaneous/natural menopause (SM), but biomarkers this are not well-characterized. Considering associative memory deficits may presage preclinical AD, we wondered if one the earliest changes might be whether younger BSO had similar to those observed SM. (with without 17β-estradiol replacement therapy (ERT)), their age-matched premenopausal...
Menopause and menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) can influence cognition in postmenopausal women, but previous literature remains equivocal about their effects. MHT varies based on formulation route of administration, both which dose estradiol (E2), the estrogen with greatest affinity to receptor. Transdermal E2 avoids hepatic conversion results higher plasma levels than oral formulations. The cognitive domains executive functions, episodic memory prospective are diminished age, may be...
Early midlife bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) is associated with greater Alzheimer's disease risk compared to spontaneous/natural menopause. Previously, we found that participants BSO had lower volume in the hippocampal dentate gyrus and cornu ammonis 2/3 composite subfield (DG-CA2/3). We sought extend those findings by assessing whether affected volumes along anteroposterior axis, anterolateral entorhinal cortex, perirhinal cortex subregions (Brodmann area (BA) 35 36). also correlated...
Abstract Background Women’s health has historically been undervalued, underrepresented, and underfunded. Sex gender mandates were introduced in grant competitions to increase women’s research. This study aimed understand what type of research is being funded prioritized open Canada. Methods Publicly available Canadian Institute Health Research (CIHR) project abstracts from 2020 2023 coded for the mention sex, gender, two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer plus (2S/LGBTQ+),...
Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO; removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes) prior to age 48 is associated with elevated risk for both Alzheimer's disease (AD) sleep disorders such as insomnia apnea. In early midlife, individuals BSO show reduced hippocampal volume, function, hippocampal-dependent verbal episodic memory performance changes in sleep. It unknown whether affects fine-grained measurements (sleep microarchitecture) how these might relate memory. We recruited thirty-six midlife...
Despite the widespread use of oral contraceptives (OCs), and well-documented influence estrogens, notably 17β-estradiol (E2), on cognition, research relating OCs to working memory is limited mixed. Two factors may contribute these mixed findings: 1) pharmacokinetics contraceptives, which drive fluctuations in synthetic hormone levels; 2) genetic polymorphisms related dopamine degradation memory, interact with E2. This investigated whether concert single nucleotide polymorphism (Val158Met;...
Women with early bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) have greater Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk than women spontaneous menopause (SM), but the pathway toward this is understudied. Considering associative memory deficits may reflect signs of AD, we studied how BSO affected brain activity underlying memory.
Abstract Background Women with early ovarian hormone deprivation due to bilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy (BSO; and fallopian tube removal) are at risk for later life Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but estradiol therapy (ET) may be protective (Rocca et al., 2007). Working memory (WM), temporarily maintaining manipulating information in mind, depends on structural integrity of fronto‐parietal brain regions (Burzynska 2012). WM declines have been observed midlife women BSO not taking ET (Gervais...
Women with early ovarian removal (<48 years) have an elevated risk for both late-life Alzheimer's disease (AD) and insomnia, a modifiable factor. In midlife, they also show reduced verbal episodic memory hippocampal volume. Whether these reductions correlate sleep phenotype consistent insomnia remains unexplored.We recruited thirty-one younger middleaged women risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO), fifteen of whom were taking estradiol-based hormone replacement therapy...
Abstract Objective Ovarian removal prior to spontaneous/natural menopause (SM) is associated with increased risk of late life dementias including Alzheimer's disease. This may be related the sudden and early loss endogenous estradiol. Women breast cancer gene mutations (BRCAm) are counseled undergo oophorectomy SM significantly reduce their developing breast, ovarian, cervical cancers. There limited evidence neurological effects ovarian age showing women without BRCAm had cortical thinning...
Abstract Background Women with bilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy (BSO; removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes) prior to age 50 have increased Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk (Rocca et al., 2007), but the neural mechanisms for this are unclear. Abilities involving manipulation/maintenance aspects working memory (WM) decline post‐BSO, effect may be reduced by estradiol‐based hormone therapy (ET; Gervais 2020). Considering in WM AD (Germano & Kinsella, 2005), we aimed understand relationships...
ABSTRACT Objective Ovarian removal prior to spontaneous/natural menopause (SM) is associated with increased risk of late life dementias including Alzheimer’s disease. This may be related the sudden and early loss endogenous estradiol. Women breast cancer gene mutations (BRCAm) are counselled undergo oophorectomy SM significantly reduce their developing breast, ovarian, cervical cancers. There limited evidence neurological effects ovarian age this in women without BRCAm showing cortical...
Women bear the greatest burden of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Menopause-associated estrogen (E) loss may contribute to higher rate among women, and surgical menopause prior age 45 further increase risk. Neurodegeneration atrophy in medial temporal lobe (MTL) structures including perirhinal (PRC) entorhinal (ERC) cortices occur very early stages AD (e.g. Khan et al., 2013; Wolk 2017). Emerging evidence suggests that visual recognition memory (VRM), which depends on PRC, is impaired individuals...
Abstract Background Ovarian removal via bilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy (BSO) prior to spontaneous menopause (SM) is related increased Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk (Rocca et al., 2007). Associative learning deficits are considered the earliest AD symptoms, heralding preclinical (Fowler 2002). Performance and brain activation during a face‐name associative memory task differ based on reproductive stage linked fluctuating levels of 17β‐estradiol (E2; Rentz 2017). We hypothesized that BSO...
Abstract Background Early ovarian hormone deprivation due to bilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy (BSO; and fallopian tube removal) is a risk for late‐life AD, but estradiol replacement therapy (ERT) may be protective (Rocca et al., 2007). Working episodic memory decrements have been observed without ERT soon after surgery (Sherwin 1988) on average 5 years post‐BSO in midlife compared premenopausal controls (Gervais 2020). Unknown whether continues decrease over time early midlife, critical...
Abstract Background Women with mid‐life 17β‐estradiol loss due to early bilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy (BSO; removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes) have heightened Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk (Rocca et al., 2007). is related AD factors, including associative memory decrements decreased functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)‐measured hippocampal activation during encoding (Jacobs 2016; Rentz 2017). Our objective was investigate the effects BSO replacement therapy (ERT) on function....
Abstract Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD)‐related brain pathology is observed in participants within the normal ranges of cognitive assessments (Delacourte et al., 1999). Consequently, there increased interest subjective decline (SCD), a self‐experienced cognition, as an early risk factor (Jessen 2014). SCD associated with earlier conversion to mild impairment (MCI) and AD 2010; Reisberg 2010), poorer performance on tasks, cortical thinning AD‐related regions (Schultz 2015;...
Abstract Background Women bear the greatest burden of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with menopause‐associated estrogen (E) loss becoming increasingly implicated. Surgical menopause <45 years age (via bilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy, BSO) is thought to further increase risk (Rocca et al., 2007). Neurodegeneration and atrophy in medial temporal lobe (MTL) structures including perirhinal (PRC) entorhinal (ERC) cortices occur very early stages AD (e.g. Khan 2013; Wolk 2017). Further, sleep...
Abstract Introduction 17β-estradiol loss is related to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk factors, including disordered sleep and associative memory decrements. Women have higher for AD than men, those with mid-life due surgical menopause, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) before age 48, even risk. We wondered whether in women BSO (mean 44–46) would be comparable spontaneous/natural menopause (SM; mean 57), 17β-estradiol-based hormone therapy (ET) might mitigate these effects. Methods...
Abstract Introduction Early loss of 17β-estradiol (E2), as experienced by women with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO; removal ovaries and fallopian tubes), is associated increased prevalence sleep disorders greater Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk. In older adults, poor heightens AD risk; hypoxia increases markers for incipient AD, including circulating Aβ, linked to prefrontal cortical thinning. Thus, we wondered: 1) if this at-risk population middle-aged BSO had hypoxia, measured oxygen...
Abstract Background Women bear the greatest burden of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and early (<45y) ovarian hormone deprivation via surgical menopause further increases risk (Rocca et al., 2007). Given that sleep disturbance is implicated in AD progression (Lim 2013), an important area investigation determining whether younger women with demonstrate disturbed at midlife, this may confer additional risks by contributing to changes hippocampal integrity. Thus, we investigated middle‐aged...