The Cloud of Memory: A Menopause Issue

Each day, thousands of women suffer from the symptoms of menopause. Some feel the exasperating symptoms of hot flashes. Others combat irritating mood swings. Some may even start to loose their memory due to menopause. According to a published journal titled Menopause in the North American Menopause Society, the loss of memory due to menopause is real. The study subjected 75 women who were either approaching or beginning menopause to a bevy of cognitive tests, which sought to examine learning and retaining information while sustaining and manipulating attention and data.

Clouded Memory

Millions of women struggle with the sudden “brain fog” in their late 40s and 50s, a fog that ruins their once clear memory.  According to the lead neuropsychologist Miriam Weber, Ph.D., “there really are some cognitive changes that occur during this [menopause] phase.” No surprise, as menopause changes the estrogen levels of the brain, adversely affecting certain estrogen-based brain activities, including short-term memory.

During the study, some women complained about memory problems. Those who did complain about memory problems also scored poorly on the “working memory” portion of the exam, an ability of memory that measures an individual’s capacity to take new information and manipulate it; for example, calculating exact change on a bill or re-routing your daily commute because of a traffic collision.

Poor Concentration Issues

The report too found an associated issue that discovered most menopausal women had a difficult time maintaining focus on a challenging task, such as completing difficult work-related problems, focusing at work during a lackluster activity, or paying attention to an arduous reading assignment. According to the study, depression, anxiety, and sleep difficulties were common among women with memory issues; however, the scientist found no link between these symptoms and hormone levels.