The Fact
Human PET-imaging research has documented declines in cerebral glucose metabolism associated with the menopause transition.
What This Means
The brain’s use of glucose—one of its major energy sources—changes during the menopausal transition. This gives a physiological basis for investigating cognitive complaints such as brain fog, memory difficulty, and changes in mental stamina rather than assuming those symptoms are purely psychological.
Sources
- Mosconi, Lisa, et al. “Perimenopause and emergence of an Alzheimer’s bioenergetic phenotype in brain and periphery.” PLOS ONE 12, no. 10 (2017): e0185926. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185926