Brain Fog and Cognition in Menopause
Menopause and memory:
Forgetting words? Can’t find things? Believe it or not, menopause can affect our memory!
As a woman approaches menopause, the ovaries gradually produce less estrogen, which is crucial for thinking and remembering. A recent study showed women in the year after their last period performed significantly worse on test of verbal learning and memory.1
The good news is that these changes in memory with menopause are temporary and are not linked to diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.2
Just as fluctuating hormones can add to “Mommy Brain” in new mothers, so can fluctuating hormones affect memory in menopausal women.
This may feel like you are ‘losing your mind’. This can lead to negative thoughts such as “I don’t think I can do my job as well as before” or “I’m going crazy”. Checking in with your mental health may help reassure you that you are not ‘crazy’ or that in fact you do need some mental health support for this transition in your life.
Take time to care for yourself:
At this stage in our lives, many women feel like they are juggling too many balls and we need to take time to care for ourselves:
1. Keep physically active: to send lots of oxygen to your brain to reduce brain fog and increase the hormones that improve your mood.
2. Find something active for your brain: Learn a new language (wonderful new apps for this are available), learn to dance, do puzzles. Increasing the neural connections in your brain keeps your brain sharper and boosts feelings of competency.
3. Be kind to yourself: Realize you may not be able to respond as quickly as before in the workplace or at home but you are still you and you are still competent. Remember: this too shall pass.
4. If you have grandchildren nearby: Try spending time with them once a week. A recent study indicates that the highest cognitive performance is demonstrated by postmenopausal women who spend 1 day/week minding grandchildren; but don’t overdo it because “minding grandchildren for 5 days or more per week predicts lower working memory performance and processing speed.”3
Further Information
Resources:
Check your mental health status here.
Learn CBT to help change your distressing thoughts to positive, life-giving thoughts.
References:
1(Live science, Menopausal Brain Fog really does exist).
2(Live science, Menopausal Brain Fog really does exist).
3 Role of grandparenting in postmenopausal women's cognitive health: results from the Women's Healthy Aging Project.Menopause. 2014 Oct; 21(10):1069-74.M
