Effects of estradiol on the cognitive function of postmenopausal women

Marinho, Ricardo M.; Soares, José Maria; Santiago, Ricardo C.; Maganhin, Carla C.; Machado, Flavia; de Miranda Cota, Ana Marcia; Baracat, Edmund C.

doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2008.07.003

« Previous Next »Maturitas
Volume 60, Issue 3 , Pages 230-234, July 2008

Effects of estradiol on the cognitive function of postmenopausal women

Ricardo M. Marinho
- Federal University of Sâo Paulo and Faculdade de Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais, Brazil
José Maria Soares Jr.
- Department of Gynecology, Federal University of Săo Paulo, Brazil
- Corresponding author at: Department of Gynecology, Federal University of Săo Paulo, Rua Sena Madureira 1245 Apt., 1104021051 Sâo Paulo, SP, Brazil. Tel.: +55 11 50813685; fax: +55 11 50813685.
Ricardo C. Santiago
- Faculdade de Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais, Brazil
Carla C. Maganhin
- Department of Gynecology, Federal University of Săo Paulo, Brazil
Flavia Machado
- Faculdade de Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais, Brazil
Ana Marcia de Miranda Cota
- Faculdade de Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais, Brazil
Edmund C. Baracat
- Department of Gynecology, Federal University of Săo Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Obstetrícia e Ginecologia - FMUSP, Brazil

Received 6 January 2008; received in revised form 20 May 2008; accepted 13 July 2008. published online 21 August 2008.

Abstract

Objective

To analyze the effect of estrogen on the cognitive function of postmenopausal women through psychometric tests.

Methods

Seventy-four postmenopausal women were divided into two groups: (G1) estrogen group (n=34), treated with 2mg 17 beta-estradiol; (G2) placebo group (n=31), treated with inactive substance. All the participants were submitted, before and after treatment, to psychometric tests, Greene's Scale of Climacteric Symptoms and the Hamilton Scale for depression. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann–Whitney test and Student's t-test. In order to evaluate the degree of improvement of symptoms or depression after estrogen treatment, Spearman's correlation coefficient was calculated.

Results

A few psychometric tests (immediate and late recall of story, Trailmaking A and B, FAS, Stroop, Bells tests) showed post-intervention improvement, but these were not significant when compared to the placebo group's data. The estrogen group's climacteric symptoms were mitigated in comparison to placebo's, but there was no significant difference between the two groups on the Hamilton Scale. Reduction in climacteric symptoms was associated with improvement in executive function performance as evaluated by the Stroop test.