The Fact
A study that followed 2,362 women ages 42 to 52 for four years found that learning slowed during perimenopause. Gains in processing speed were only 28% as large in late perimenopause as before it, and gains in verbal memory were 29% as large in early perimenopause and 7% as large in late perimenopause. After menopause, learning returned to premenopausal levels.
What This Means
The forgetfulness and slower thinking many women notice in perimenopause shows up on tests — it is real, not imagined. And in this study it was temporary: the brain caught back up after menopause.
Sources
- Greendale, Gail A., et al. “Effects of the menopause transition and hormone use on cognitive performance in midlife women.” Neurology 72, no. 21 (2009): 1850–1857.
- American Academy of Neurology. Press release on the menopause transition and learning, May 26, 2009. https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/Home/PressRelease/736