Elsevier

Fertility and Sterility

Volume 76, Issue 4, October 2001, Pages 651-659
Fertility and Sterility

Modern trend
Neuroimaging of aging and estrogen effects on central nervous system physiology☆

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Abstract

Objective: To review the literature on neuroimaging studies focusing on gender differences in the aging process and on the effects of postmenopausal estrogen use on the brain.

Design: Pertinent studies were identified through a computer MEDLINE search. References of selected articles were hand-searched for additional citations.

Conclusion(s): The current literature suggests that estrogen replacement may decrease brain white matter lesions, increase cerebral blood flow, alter regional brain activation patterns during cognitive processing, and have modulatory effects on various neurotransmitter systems. Overall, this points to a functional plasticity in higher order brain processing that can be altered by gonadal steroids.

Keywords

Hormones
estrogen
progesterone
progestin
brain
aging
postmenopause
PET
SPECT
MRI
neuroimaging
brain imaging
gender
neurotransmitters
cognition
central nervous system
memory
dementia

Cited by (0)

☆

Financial support: American Society for Reproductive Medicine/Organon Inc. M.D. Research Grant in Reproductive Medicine and The Claude Pepper Older Americans Independence Center Pilot Grant, University of Michigan.

Copyright © 2001 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.