Is it Dementia, Stress, or Hormones?
Have you ever noticed that your brain doesn’t work as well as it used to? Maybe it’s just during certain parts of your cycle. Maybe it’s during times of high stress. Maybe it’s been worse in the perimenopausal transition.
The fact is, your brain function absolutely CAN shift during this time!
It turns out, high stress can affect a part of the brain known as the hippocampus. In short, this region helps with memory. Long term stress can affect the neurons in there and actually cause shrinkage to that area!
In the graphic below, you can see initially the stress helps you zone in and handle the situation from a neurological point of view. However, over time this can cause problems if not supported or the stress is not resolved.
I would have patients that were going through a divorce, job change, move, or family illness tell me that their memory, ability to multi-task, and focus were becoming a major problem. I reassured them that they weren’t going crazy, and thankfully the brain is capable of figuring this out on the other end. However, we did need to support their stress response AND their brain!
Hormones also play a major role in brain function.
You have estrogen and progesterone receptors throughout your entire brain in several key areas. In fact, the front part of your brain is called the pre-frontal cortex. It helps you with ‘executive function.’ This helps you process and make decisions including your thoughts, actions and emotions at a high level. Big stress and even sleep deprivation can affect this area but so can a decline in estradiol (estrogen).
Many women notice that the swinging hormones in perimenopause messes with their brain function.
You USED to be able to multi-task and now you find yourself losing focus and attention.
You USED to remember every “to-do” and are now resorting to lists and phone reminders.
You USED to recall everyone’s name when telling a story, and now it takes a minute to come up with your neighbor 3 doors down or your child’s teacher from last year.
You USED to be patient and calm, and now that’s gone.
Don’t worry (much), brain researcher Dr. Lisa Mosconi says that women’s brain go through a big remodeling, rewiring, and a whole lot of cleaning house. Unfortunately during this time, you and I can feel it! But, it does eventually get better as the brain enters this new phase, she assured me.
Anecdotally, I did an instagram poll asking if women who started hormones noticed their brain fog improved and the overwhelming percentage said YES! The comment section was HOT with your stories of what hormones you were on and how it helped. Of course, hormones didn’t help everyone, but for a large majority they were really beneficial.
Of course, there are other ways to help the brain as outlined in Dr. Mosconi’s book, The Menopause Brain. This includes supporting sleep as best you can, proper nutrition, exercise, stress reduction practices, and even supplements such as omega 3 fatty acids, magnesium L-threonate, l-theanine and more.
Lastly, I asked Dr. Mosconi about brain fog and dementia when I had the chance to sit down and interview her. She reassured me that the large percentage of brain fog is indeed NOT early dementia. PHEW! However, if you are concerned, don’t hesitate to talk with your doctor.