UT-Houston Researcher Part of Ground-Breaking Estrogen Study

Estrogen may give postmenopausal women a memory boost, says a University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center researcher and professor in the department of pediatrics. Neuropsychologist Jack M. Fletcher, Ph.D., says the team measured the brain activity of 46 postmenopausal women, aged 33-61, as they conducted tasks involving verbal and visual memory. For brain measurement, they used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI) - a noninvasive diagnostic technique that produces computerized images of the brain as it processes information. The study was conducted at Yale University and published in the April 7th Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Estrogen may stimulate the brain in postmenopausal women to make the type of neural connections typically seen in younger people. That should mean an accompanying improvement in memory function, says Dr. Fletcher. Previous research has shown estrogen: Protects against heart disease; fights brittle bones; decreases the risk of colon cancer; and may help women live longer. Estrogen may also reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and increase the risks of breast and endometrial cancers.

- From The University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center

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Courtesy of Texas Medical Center News

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