Overview
- A University of Cambridge team analyzed UK Biobank records from nearly 125,000 women, combining self-reports, cognitive tests and health service data.
- MRI scans in about 10,800 participants showed reduced grey matter after menopause in the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex and anterior cingulate.
- Reports of anxiety, depressive symptoms and disrupted sleep rose in the post-menopausal group, alongside increased use of related medical care and medications.
- Objective testing indicated memory performance was largely stable, while processing speed and reaction times slowed modestly.
- Hormone replacement therapy showed no clear protective effect once pre-existing mental health differences were considered, and users more often reported emotional complaints.