Cognitive Function In Women Research Articles

Mediterranean diet score linked to cognitive functioning in women: evidence from the Czech Republic

Abstract Background Evidence suggests that adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MED) may be beneficial in preventing cognitive decline, although findings are inconsistent. We aimed to explore this association in the Czech population of older adults. Methods A total of 6,028 males and females from the Czech arm of the Health Alcohol and Psychosocial factors in Eastern Europe (HAPIEE) study were included in the analysis. Dietary data were collected using a food frequency questionnaire, and MED was calculated based on nine food groups. The MED score ranged from 0 to 16 points and was categorized into three groups: 0-7, 8-10, and 11-16 points. Cognitive function was measured using four tests assessing verbal memory and learning, verbal fluency, and attention, mental speed and concentration, from which single z-scores were computed. The composite score of cognitive function was computed as the mean of z-scores. The cross-sectional associations between MED and composite score of cognitive function were analyzed using multivariate linear regression. Results Females with a dietary score of 8-10 points (Beta=0.05, 95% CI: -0.002; 0.097), and those with a score of 11-16 points (Beta=0.08, 95% CI: 0.016; 0.140) had a higher composite cognitive score than women in lowest adherence group. Looking at specific domains, women in the highest adherence group had significantly better immediate verbal memory (Beta=0.12, 95% CI: 0.031; 0.205) and delayed recall (Beta=0.12, 95% CI: 0.027; 0.212), respectively, than those in the lowest adherence group. There were no associations in males. Conclusions Higher adherence to the MED was associated with better cognitive functioning in verbal memory and composite cognitive score in Czech females. The results suggest that the Mediterranean diet may help to improve cognitive functioning in older women. #NGEU Key messages • Findings suggest that Mediterranean diet may be beneficial in cognitive functioning in older women. • Higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet is connected to better cognitive function particularly in verbal memory domain.

Aerobic exercise and CogniTIVe functioning in women with breAsT cancEr (ACTIVATE): A randomized controlled trial.

As the prevalence of chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment rises, investigation into treatment options is critical. The objectives of this study were to test the effects of an aerobic exercise intervention initiated during chemotherapy compared to usual care (wait list control condition) on (1) objectively measured cognitive function and self-reported cognitive function, as well as on (2) the impact of cognitive impairment on quality of life (QOL) postintervention (commensurate with chemotherapy completion). The Aerobic exercise and CogniTIVe functioning in women with breAsT cancEr (ACTIVATE) trial was a two-arm, two-center randomized controlled trial conducted in Ottawa and Vancouver (Canada). Fifty-seven women (Mage,48.8±10 years) diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer and awaiting chemotherapy were randomized to aerobic exercise initiated with chemotherapy (nEX=28) or usual care during chemotherapy with aerobic exercise after chemotherapy completion (nUC=29). The intervention lasted 12-24 weeks and consisted of supervised aerobic training and at-home exercise. The primary outcome was objective cognitive function measured via 13 neuropsychological tests (standardized to M ± SD,0±1); secondary outcomes of self-reported cognitive function and its impact on QOL were assessed via questionnaires. Data collected pre- and postintervention (the primary end point) were analyzed. Although no significant differences between groups were found for objective cognitive function outcomes postintervention after accounting for multiple testing, four of six self-reported cognitive function outcomes showed significant differences favoring the aerobic exercise group. Among women initiating chemotherapy for breast cancer, aerobic exercise did not result in significant differences in objective cognitive function postintervention after chemotherapy completion; however, the results do support the use of this intervention for improving self-reported cognitive function and its impact on QOL.

Do pregnancy and motherhood have an impact on cognitive functions in women

ABSTRACT Pregnancy and motherhood are some of the most physically and mentally challenging periods in a woman’s life. The aim of current study was to examine aspects of cognitive functions in pregnancy and motherhood that are controversial in the literature. The study included 30 healthy pregnant women aged between 18–40 years in their second and third trimesters, 30 healthy controls (nulliparous and non-pregnant women) and 30 healthy mothers matched with the pregnant women for age, handedness and education level. Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Trail Making, Stroop, Digit Span, Verbal Fluency and Rey Auditory and Verbal Learning Tests (RAVLT) were applied to all participants. The pregnant group showed significantly lower performance in trail making, digit span, verbal fluency as well as RAVLT compared to other two groups suggesting deficiencies in cognitive areas such as attention, set-shifting, planning, learning, language functions, semantic memory, working memory, encoding memory and retrieval. A trend toward increased function in response inhibition was observed in the mothers. Regression analyses revealed that pregnancy significantly decreased performance in verbal fluency, trail making, and RAVLT. Our findings from rigorously selected participants may help comprehend alterations in cognitive functioning during pregnancy and motherhood, as well as shed light on the contradictory literature.

Low testosterone levels relate to poorer cognitive function in women in an APOE-ε4-dependant manner

BackgroundPast research suggests that low testosterone levels relate to poorer cognitive function and higher Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk; however, these findings are inconsistent and are mostly derived from male samples, despite similar age-related testosterone decline in females. Both animal and human studies demonstrate that testosterone’s effects on brain health may be moderated by apolipoprotein E ε4 allele (APOE-ε4) carrier status, which may explain some previous inconsistencies. We examined how testosterone relates to cognitive function in older women versus men across healthy aging and the AD continuum and the moderating role of APOE-ε4 genotype.MethodsFive hundred and sixty one participants aged 55–90 (155 cognitively normal (CN), 294 mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 112 AD dementia) from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), who had baseline cognitive and plasma testosterone data, as measured by the Rules Based Medicine Human DiscoveryMAP Panel were included. There were 213 females and 348 males (self-reported sex assigned at birth), and 52% of the overall sample were APOE-ε4 carriers. We tested the relationship of plasma testosterone levels and its interaction with APOE-ε4 status on clinical diagnostic group (CN vs. MCI vs. AD), global, and domain-specific cognitive performance using ANOVAs and linear regression models in sex-stratified samples. Cognitive domains included verbal memory, executive function, processing speed, and language.ResultsWe did not observe a significant difference in testosterone levels between clinical diagnostic groups in either sex, regrardless of APOE-ε4 status. Across clinical diagnostic group, we found a significant testosterone by APOE-ε4 interaction in females, such that lower testosterone levels related to worse global cognition, processing speed, and verbal memory in APOE-ε4 carriers only. We did not find that testosterone, nor its interaction with APOE-ε4, related to cognitive outcomes in males.ConclusionsFindings suggest that low testosterone levels in older female APOE-ε4 carriers across the aging-MCI-AD continuum may have deleterious, domain-specific effects on cognitive performance. Although future studies including additional sex hormones and longitudinal cognitive trajectories are needed, our results highlight the importance of including both sexes and considering APOE-ε4 carrier status when examining testosterone’s role in cognitive health.

The influence of the polyvalent nanodisperse iron oxide and quercetin composition on the women's psycho-emotional state and cognitive function under war stress

Chronic psycho-emotional stress has a permanent negative impact on the psycho-emotional state and cognitive function of the population of the Kyiv region. The purpose of the study was to find out the effect of the course application of the composition of polyvalent nanodisperse iron oxide and quercetin on the psycho-emotional state and cognitive functioning of women who were in conditions of psycho-emotional stress as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The study included 56 women aged 40-74 years who had been in the Kyiv region without permission since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war (February 24, 2022). After the examination, the women were divided into two groups, 28 people each, which did not differ among themselves regarding indicators. The women of the first group took a nanocomposite (dietary supplement "LisoferrinTM") for a month, consisting of polyvalent nanodispersed iron oxide, quercetin and ascorbic acid. Women in the control group took a placebo for a month. The psycho-emotional state was determined using the PLC-5 scale and the Beck depression scale, the Spielberger-Hanin test, and cognitive functions were determined using the Montreal Cognitive Function Assessment Scale (MoCA), the Schulte test, and the reaction speed test. After the course the use of lysoferrin, an improvement in the general condition of the examinees was found, a decrease in body stress, the level of situational and personal anxiety, the level of depression, as well as an increase in the overall score of the Montreal test and a decrease in the time for completing the task in the Schulthei test, which indicates an improvement in mental functions. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Keywords: psycho-emotional state; quercetin; mental capacity

Effects of Circuit Exercise Program on Cognitive Function, Functional Exercise Capacity, Mobility, Depression, and Quality of Life in Women with Gestational Diabetes

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of circuit exercise programs applied in addition to diet therapy on cognitive function, functional exercise capacity, mobility, depression, and QoL in women with GD. Materials and Methods: 43 women with GDM aged 18-35 years old were included and 43 were analyzed. A parallel, single-blind trial with participants allocated (1:1) to one of two groups the Exercise Group and the Diet Group. Personalized diet programs were received by all participants. In the Diet Group, only a diet program was performed. In the Exercise Group, a circuit exercise program was applied to 40-minute sessions, 3 days a week over 6 weeks in addition to the diet program. Participants were assessed at baseline, after 6 weeks for general cognitive function, attention, selective attention, functional exercise capacity, mobility, depression, and quality of life. Results: Significant differences were found in terms of MoCA, Stroop ve SF-36 Physical Functioning in both groups (p<0.05). In Time*Group evaluations, there was a significant difference in the WMS Backward Digit Span in favor of the Diet Group, and in TUG in favor of the Exercise Group (p<0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, personalized diet programs may enhance cognitive functions, and circuit exercise programs in addition to the personalized diet program may enhance mobility and cognitive functions in women with GD.

Cognitive Function in Urban and Rural Postmenopausal Women.

Menopause is a well-known risk factor for decreasing cognitive function in women. Postmenopausal women are increasing in number but relevant studies are very scarce. This study compared the cognitive function between urban and rural postmenopausal women and assessed the influence of socio-demographic factors on cognitive function. The aim of the study was to assess the association between the cognitive function of urban and rural postmenopausal women. This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 87 urban and 87 rural postmenopausal women who were selected by purposive sampling method from the Nakhalpara and Dhamrai area of Dhaka district during the period from January to December 2020. Data were collected with a semi-structured questionnaire based on the Bengali version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scale through face-to-face interviews and record reviewing with a checklist. Statistical analyses of the results were obtained using Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA) and SPSS version 24 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). The mean age of postmenopausal women was 58.09 ± 8.163years in urban areas and 60.00 ± 7.562years in rural areas. The majority (31, 35.6%) of urban women were primary school pass whereas 58 (66.7%) rural women were illiterate. The mean family income of the women was 43022.99 ± 10992.57 Bangladeshi taka (BDT) in the urban group and 14022.99 ± 5023.14 BDTin the rural group. The study revealed that 31 (35.6%) women in the urban group and 53 (60.9%) women in the rural group had abnormal cognitive function. The percentage of abnormal cognitive function was higher in rural postmenopausal women. Cognitive function has an association with monthly family income, housing condition, family type, age at the time of marriage, lifestyle, and co-morbidities. Policymakers can take the findings as a guide to formulate policies and programs for the improvement of cognitive function of postmenopausal women.

The impact of female reproductive period length, parity, and hormonal replacement therapy on cognitive performance

AbstractBackgroundSome evidence suggests that Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline are more prevalent in women and that risk factors specific to the female sex could be involved. The aim of this study is to estimate the association between the length of female reproductive period, parity, hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) and later life cognition in a large cohort of Brazilian older adults.MethodWe analyzed cross‐sectional data from 4,558 women and 3,799 men. Cognitive function was measured through a global cognitive score composed of orientation, verbal fluency, and memory tests. Age at menarche and menopause, parity and use of HRT were self‐reported. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to identify hormone related factors associated with current cognitive functioning in women, adjusting for relevant covariates. Afterwards, we performed an analysis among men for number of children.ResultHigher parity was associated with worse cognitive functioning (β = ‐0.01, p < 0.001), while lengthier reproductive life (β = 0.00, p = 0.001) and HRT use (β = 0.04, p = 0.023) were associated with better cognitive performance. We performed a sensitivity analysis, after dividing women into parity groups. When compared with 0 births, the group with 1‐5 had better cognition (β = 0.08, p = 0.001), while the other groups displayed no differences. After excluding nulliparous women, compared to women with 1‐5 births, women with 6‐10 (β = ‐0.1, p < 0.001) and 11+ births (β = ‐0.16, p < 0.001) had an increasingly worse cognitive performance. We also analyzed number of children data for men, which had no impact on cognition (β = ‐0.00, p = 0.688).ConclusionResults indicate a protective effect on cognition of longer reproductive life, HRT use and 1‐5 childbirths, when compared to being nulliparous or having 6+ births. Among men, number of children was not associated with cognitive performance. These findings indicate a positive effect of estrogen on the brain, unrelated to current offspring. This effect might be mitigated by frequent pregnancies, but a smaller number of childbirths may not be enough to exert an impact, while bringing positive psychological effects that are protective for cognition.

Bowel movement frequency, the gut microbiome, and cognitive function in women and men

AbstractBackgroundBowel movement frequency and the gut microbiome may be associated with the risk of dementia.MethodWe examined the association between bowel movement frequency and cognitive function in 112,753 women and men from Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), Nurses’ Health Study II (NHSII), and Health Professionals Follow‐Up Study (HPFS) and explored the role of the gut microbiome in explaining these associations in a sub‐cohort of 515 NHSII and HPFS participants. We collected data on bowel movement frequency in 2012/13 and subjective cognitive function from 2014 to 2017 in all participants and objective cognitive function using a neuropsychological battery between 2014 and 2018 in 12,696 NHSII participants. We profiled the gut microbiome using shotgun metagenomics.ResultBowel movement frequency was associated with overall objective cognitive function and learning and working memory in an inverse J‐shape dose‐response manner (both Pnon‐linearity<0.05). Compared to those with once daily bowel movements, participants with bowel movement frequency of every 3+ days had significantly worse cognition, equivalent to 3.0 (95% confidence interval (CI),1.2, 4.7) years of additional aging. We observed similar J‐shape dose‐response relationships of bowel movement frequency with the odds of subjective cognitive decline and the likelihood of having more subjective cognitive complaints over time. Bowel movement frequencies of every 3+ days and ≥twice /day, compared to once daily bowel movement, were associated with odds ratios of subjective cognitive decline of 1.73 (95% CI, 1.60, 1.86) and 1.37 (95% CI, 1.33, 1.44), respectively. These relationships were generally consistent across three cohorts and subgroups. Bowel movement frequency and subjective cognition were significantly associated with the overall variation of the gut microbiome (both P <0.005) and specific microbial species. Butyrate producers were depleted in those with less frequent bowel movements and worse cognitive function, while a higher abundance of dysbiosis‐related, pro‐inflammatory species was associated with bowel movement frequency of ≥twice/day and worse cognitive function.ConclusionLess frequent bowel movements were associated with worse cognitive function. The gut microbiome may be a mechanistic link underlying the association between intestinal motility patterns and cognitive function.

Lifestyle factors as mediators of area-level socioeconomic differentials in mental health and cognitive function: the Tromsø Study

IntroductionLow socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with poor mental health and cognitive function. Individual-level SES and area-level SES (ASES) may affect mental health and cognitive function through lifestyle. We aimed...

Gender Aspects of Cognitive Functioning in Former COVID-19 Patients

This paper presents a comparative analysis of cognitive functioning in women and men after COVID-19. A comprehensive assessment covered coping behavior and life purpose orientation in their connection with cognitive functions. It involved 65 former COVID-19 patients (26 men and 39 women). The general cognitive state was assessed with the help of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) Scale while the Frontal Assessment Batter (FAB) Test made it possible to determine the level of self-control in planning behavior. The coping behavior was evaluated using R. Lazarus’s Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ). The semantic orientation of behavior was carried out using the Life Purpose Orientation technique developed by D. A. Leontiev. The research revealed some gender-related differences. The men demonstrated no connection between their coping behavior and the cognitive state. They had a lower sense of purpose and were mostly past-oriented. The women, on the contrary, showed a strong relationship between coping behavior, cognitive state, and life purpose orientation. In women, the restoration of cognitive functions led to a decrease in productive and unproductive behavioral responses to stressful situations, as well as to a greater sense of purpose and retrospective analysis.

The Relationship Between the Menstrual Cycle, Oral Contraceptives, and Executive Function – Inhibition, Updating, and Shifting

Abstract: Previous research suggests a link between oral contraceptives and cognitive functioning in women, yet the results are contradictory and limited by methodological inconsistencies. This is the first meta-analysis of studies comparing naturally cycling women with women taking oral contraceptives on measures testing three executive functions: inhibition, updating, and shifting. We conducted a systematic literature search. Sixteen articles were included which were either cross-sectional or experimental and compared executive functions between women taking oral contraceptives ( n = 588) or cycling naturally ( n = 594). The average sample size was n = 32.33 for oral contraceptives users and n = 31.34 for naturally cycling women with ranges going from 8 to 144 participants per study. The age range of participants in all the studies taken together was between 18 for the youngest participant and 50 years old for the oldest participant with a mean age of M = 21.97, SD = 2.28. The studies presented a mixture of androgenic and anti-androgenic oral contraceptives which were rarely analyzed as separate groups. We ran a multivariate meta-analysis model to estimate the effect size of 66 comparisons in executive functioning between the groups taking oral contraceptives and the groups of naturally cycling women. Overall, the effect size of differences in executive functioning between groups was not significant: d = 0.044, SE = 0.0713, 95% CI [−0.0959, 0.1839], z = 0.62; p = 0.54. The analysis of the cycle phases and types of executive functions as moderators was not significant, however, the studies assessed as having a lower quality increased the overall effect. Our analysis indicates no difference between oral contraceptive users and naturally cycling women on core executive functions but the high amount of heterogeneity might reflect a high level of methodological diversity. Implications for research design and methodology are discussed.

Demir Eksikliği Olan Üreme dönemindeki Kadınlarda Demir Replasmanının Bilişsel İşlevlere Etkisi

Objectives: Iron plays key roles in brain development including neurogenesis, myelination, synaptic development, energy and neurotransmitter metabolism as well as normal brain functioning. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of iron replacement on cognitive functions in women with iron deficiency.
 Methods: An intervention study was conducted in 165 women aged 15-49 years with low iron levels (ID;hemoglobin >12 gr/dl, ferritin

A whole-food, plant-based dietary intervention and cognitive function in women with metastatic breast cancer.

e24160 Background: Disease-specific quality of life (QOL) is consistently regarded as one of the most important outcomes by women with metastatic breast cancer (mBC), and it predicts survival. Treatment-related symptoms such as cognitive impairment greatly impact QOL in women with mBC. Patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer are highly interested in diet and nutrition, but despite this high level of interest, very few trials have tested dietary interventions in women receiving systemic breast cancer therapy and; the majority of research has been conducted in survivors who have completed primary treatment. Given the limited treatment options for cognitive impairment we evaluated whether our results show a whole food plant based (WFPB) dietary intervention might improve perceived cognitive function (CF) in women undergoing treatment for metastatic breast cancer. Methods: Patients with stage 4 breast cancer receiving treatment were randomized 2:1 into 2 arms: 1) WFPB diet (n = 20) or 2) usual care (n = 10) for 8 weeks with assessments at baseline, and 8 weeks. Our WFPB diet consisted of an ad libitum whole-food, plant-based diet; 3 meals/day were provided, which included fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts/seeds and excluded meat, dairy, eggs, added oils, solid fats and most sugars. Patient reported outcomes for perceived CF were collected using FACT- COG and EORTC-QLQ-C30. Paired t-tests were used to assess within group changes from baseline to week 8. The between group difference (WFPB diet vs control) was assessed by ANCOVA model. Results: Patients on the WFPB diet began with a mean baseline score of 140.8 on the FACT-COG which significantly improved to 156.6 (p = 0.005) at 8-weeks post intervention. The reported minimally important difference (MID) between groups is (9.6) and we observed a clinically significant difference of 17.1 (p = 0.03). Similar results in CF were observed for EORTC-QLQ-C30. The baseline mean score of 73.3 was improved to 84.7 (p = 0.004) at 8-weeks post intervention. The reported MID between groups is (4) and we observed a clinically significant difference of 12.6 (p = 0.07), with no significant changes in perceived CF for the control group. Conclusions: Our 8-week WFPB diet resulted in clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvements in perceived cognitive function in women with metastatic breast cancer. A phase 3 clinical trial is needed to confirm the results of this novel intervention. Funding: 3UG1CA189961. Clinical trial information: NCT03045289 .[Table: see text]

Age- and sex-specific associations between sarcopenia severity and poor cognitive function among community-dwelling older adults in Japan: The IRIDE Cohort Study.

This study examined whether the association between sarcopenia severity and cognitive function differed according to sex and age in community-dwelling older adults in Japan. This is a cross-sectional study of older adults (age ≥ 65 years) consisting of five regional cohorts integrated as the Integrated Research Initiative for Living Well with Dementia (IRIDE) Cohort Study. Sarcopenia severity was determined based on the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019, which assessed grip strength, walking speed, and skeletal muscle mass index. Poor cognitive function was defined as a Mini-Mental State Examination score of ≤ 23. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for poor cognitive function were calculated by sex and age group (65-74 and ≥75 years) using binomial logistic regression models, which were adjusted for age, educational attainment, history of non-communicable diseases, smoking and drinking habits, living alone, frequency of going outdoors, exercise habits, and depressive symptom. Of the 8,180 participants, 6,426 (1,157 men aged 65-74 and 1,063 men aged 75 or older; 2,281 women aged 65-74 and 1,925 women aged 75 or older) were analyzed. The prevalence ratio of sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia were 309 (13.9%) and 92 (4.1%) among men and 559 (13.3%) and 166 (3.7%) among women, respectively. A total of 127 (5.8%) men and 161 (3.9%) women had a poor cognitive function. Setting non-sarcopenia as a reference, the adjusted ORs (95% CI) of poor cognitive function were 2.20 (1.54, 3.15) for sarcopenia and 3.56 (2.20, 5.71) for severe sarcopenia. A similar trend was observed in analyses stratified by sex and age, with linear associations (P for trend <0.05) in both categories. Furthermore, there was a significant interaction (P < 0.05) between sex and sarcopenia severity, indicating a stronger linear association of sarcopenia severity with poor cognitive function in women compared with men. Sarcopenia severity was linearly associated with poor cognitive function in adults aged ≥ 65 years, with a stronger association in women compared with men.

Abstract P504: Prospective Associations of Midlife C3, C4 and Their Changes Since Midlife With Future Cognitive Performance: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation HDL Ancillary Study

Objective: Almost two-thirds of Americans over 65 with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are women. The menopause transition is characterized by a systemic inflammatory state which increases atherosclerosis risk predisposing to dementia. Complement system was inappropriately activated in the brain of AD patients, which may contribute to local inflammation correlated with cognitive dysfunction. Complement factor 3 (C3) and 4 (C4) are the most clinically used complement components. Increased serum C3 and the presence of C4 null genes producing less C4 are risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD), indicating the necessity of analyzing the ratio of C3 and C4. Since serum C3 and C4 markedly increase over the menopause transition, we aimed to assess the associations of midlife C3, C4, and C3/C4 ratio and their changes since midlife with future cognitive function in women. Design: Repeated measures of serum C3, C4, and measures of working memory (digit span backward test), processing speed (symbol digit modality test), episodic memory immediate and delayed recall (East Boston memory test) were evaluated among midlife women traversing menopause. Mixed effect models were applied to assess the associations. Results: We included 305 women (706 observations) with mean age of 51 (SD=3) and 72% of them being pre- or perimenopausal at baseline. C3 and C4 were measured a median of 1.07 (Q1: 0.94, Q3: 1.81) years before cognitive performance assessment. In final models, higher C4 measured at midlife (baseline) was associated with better future episodic memory levels, and higher midlife C3/C4 ratio was associated with worse future episodic memory ( Table ). Changes in the complement factors were not associated with cognitive measures. Conclusion: Among women, higher midlife C4 and lower midlife C3/C4 ratio, but not changes in C4 or C3/C4 ratio since midlife, were associated with better future episodic memory levels. Midlife complement protein levels could be early markers of cognitive impairment known to be linked with CVD.

Cognitive and psychoemotional changes in menopausal transition: The possibility of medical correction

The increasing of older age group in the population determines studying of age related diseases and emergence of new investigations in this area. In Female body, entering the menopausal transition is the start of «aging» of reproductive function and linked with decreasing of sex hormons levels. A direct connection between changes of estrogen, progesterone, androgen ratios and cognitive function of women was revealed. The anatomical localization of sex hormone receptors, the mechanisms of interaction of hormones with these receptors determine the ways of implementing biological effects of steroids on the CNS. Modern theories of «healthy nerve cells» and «eu-estrogenemia» explains the role of additional criteria, such as the absence of neurological diseases history and the duration of hypoestrogenia, to the outcome of menopausal hormone therapy. Additional factors that can affect to MHT action include: the composition of hormone therapy, administration methods, regimens (cyclic, continuous), duration of treatment, history of endocrine diseases, diabetes mellitus, gynecological history (parity, menarche age, COC use), heredity. The sections present the effect of menopausal transition on the development of depression, mood changes, sleep disturbances and mental disabilities. The explanation of negative effects of menopausal hormone therapy to cognitive health is also described by modern point of view. The ambivalent opinions of researchers, the potential of new reading of the results of earlier studies, confirms the necessity of continuing study of this topic.

Yoga training's effects on inflammatory markers and cognitive function in women at high risk for Alzheimer's Disease

Yoga training's effects on inflammatory markers and cognitive function in women at high risk for Alzheimer's Disease

Cognitive functioning in women with breast cancer: psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function Tool

BackgroundThe Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function (FACT-Cog) evaluates perceived cognitive functioning and their impact on quality of life. This study was designed to evaluate the factors associated with cognitive functioning in a sample of women with breast cancer (BC) in Lebanon. We also sought to explore the psychometric properties of the FACT-Cog Arabic version.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out between March and August 2020 among women with BC. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were collected. In addition, patients were asked to complete the FACT-Cog Arabic version as well as the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire 30, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7). The internal consistency of the FACT-Cog tool was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha. Content, convergent, and known group validity of the FACT-Cog Arabic version were also evaluated. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 23.0.ResultsA sample of 134 women with BC was collected. Internal consistencies of the FACT-cog total scale and its subscales were high (Cronbach’s α between 0.83 and 0.95). The convergent validity of the FACT-Cog Arabic version was supported by the positive correlation with the EORTC-cognitive functioning subscale. Moreover, negative correlations were found between FACT-Cog scale and fatigue, pain, anxiety, as well as depression. Known-group validity was supported by the statistically significant mean differences of the FACT-Cog total scale between patients in early (I &II) and late (III & IV) BC stages. Unmarried BC patients as well as those having higher depressive symptoms and a lower quality of life were found to be at higher risk of cognitive impairment.ConclusionThe FACT-Cog Lebanese Arabic version is a valid and reliable tool for assessing perceived cognitive functioning in BC women. Higher level of depression and impaired quality of life were associated with a decline in cognitive functioning.

Cognitive function of women in menopausal transition: MHT effects

Increasing in count of middle-aged and elderly people is setting a new direction for the development of medicine. The popular anti-age therapy is aimed at preventing the development and effective treatment of age-associated diseases. For female body the aging process is primarily associated with sex steroids production decreasing. Deterioration of cognitive activity affecting patients' ability to work and social involvement in perimenopausal period. A large number of estrogen and progesterone receptors have been found in different parts of the CNS. These receptors respond to signaling cascades triggered by hormones better during the period of primary estrogen deficiency, which determines the critical window period. Acting from this position, we studied 120 perimenopausal patients, who were divided into four groups: The first, the second and the third groups received different types of MHT, the fourth (control) group didn’t receive any treatment. All participants underwent clinical, laboratory and instrumental examination at the beginning and after 360 days of research. Our results demonstrated the efficacy of early start hormonal therapy to improve the cognitive abilities of women during the menopausal transition.