Jan 27, 2026
3 min read
New research shows how women's brains change during menopause and how drugs can stop this process
Women lose gray matter in their brains during menopause, which may explain why they are more likely to develop depression than men, a new study suggests.
A team from the University of Cambridge surveyed 125,000 women in the UK to investigate the effects of menopause on brain health and memory.
Menopause is associated with the loss of gray matter – an important type of brain tissue important for memory, emotional management, concentration and decision-making.
Hormonal changes may help explain why women are more susceptible to Alzheimer's disease, and "why we have nearly twice the incidence of dementia in women than in men," the authors said.
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Menopause is also linked to insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and depression.Menopause usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 and when women's periods stop due to low hormone levels.This is known to be related to cognition, and many women report 'brain fog' causing forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating.
The study, published in the journal Psychological Medicine, divided women into three groups: premenopausal women, postmenopausal women, and postmenopausal women taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Hormone replacement therapy, taken by 2.8 million women in the UK, does not appear to protect women from the effects of menopause on memory and mental health, research has found.However, women who receive hormone replacement therapy have faster menstrual cycles than women who do not receive hormone replacement therapy.
Dr Katharina Zuhlsdorff, from the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge, said: “As we age, our reaction times tend to slow down – it's just part of the natural aging process and it happens to both women and men.
"You can imagine being asked a question after a question - while as a young person you can get to the right answer, young people would undoubtedly get there faster.
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"Menopause seems to speed up the process but HRT seems to put the brakes on, slowing down aging a bit."
To study, women respond to the questions about the places like sleeping and stress, and one's income is in the memory and the answers.About 11,000 women made the mri scans that the skills can look at their brain.After the Menopause, the researchers know more than the larger amount of gray in the brain and this change is not affected by HRT.
Professor Barbara Sahakian, the study's senior author from the Department of Psychiatry, said: "The areas of the brain where we saw these differences are those that are often affected by Alzheimer's disease.
"Menopause may make these women more vulnerable. It's not the whole story, but it may help explain why there are twice as many cases of dementia in women than in men."
Alzheimer's Society chief executive Michelle Dyson said women account for two-thirds of people living with the disease in the UK.
“And we don’t yet fully understand why they are more sensitive than men, but it is thought that hormones may play a role,” she said.
"This large study adds to the evidence showing the effects of menopause on the brain, including physical changes such as loss of brain volume.
"However, without long-term participant tracking, to check whether they later develop dementia, we cannot be sure that these brain changes associated with menopause also increase the risk of dementia.
"There are steps women - and men - can take today to reduce their risk of dementia and these include regular exercise, not smoking and reducing alcohol consumption."
The researchers also found that women taking HRT were more likely to suffer from poor mental health, but their analysis found that these women had poor mental health before they were prescribed the drug.
Dr Christelle Langley, from the Department of Psychiatry, said: "Most women will experience periods and it can be life-changing, whether or not they take HRT.
"A healthy lifestyle — exercising, being active and following a healthy diet, for example — is especially important during this period to help mitigate some of its effects."
Dr. Louise Newson, family physician and female hormone expert, said: "Many women report changes in memory and concentration around menopause, and this study suggests that these symptoms may have a biological basis rather than being dismissed as aging or stress, highlighting menopause as an important period for brain health where timely individual care is important.
'Don't Blame Yourself On Hormonal Madness - Control It'
By Eleanor Hayward, Health Editor
Like many women, Kate Codrington, 60, had some memory problems during menopause.
“I had some anxiety and that kept me from sleeping for a while and that obviously added to the forgetfulness,” he said.
For Codrington, anxiety around dementia is exacerbated by a family history of dementia.
However, she said that instead of "blaming dementia on hormones", it's important to remember that lifestyle factors such as alcohol and exercise also have a big impact, and it's something that postmenopausal women can control.
Codrington, an author who has written books about menopause, including The Second Spring, said the brain changes associated with menopause can be beneficial for well-being.
"Menopause is a time of change for the better. There are losses, of course there are losses, but we gain a lot," she said."Maybe the post-menopausal brain isn't as fast, and it might not be as good at multitasking, but that's a good thing. Women are less reactive, less obsessed with pleasing other people, and don't follow boundaries."
