A new skin patch that liberates hormones into the body could help improve memory into post-menopausal women. The new experiment will analyze if wearing oestrogen patch for the period of one month can improve intellectual reasoning and recall. For years study of oestrogen focused on its role in reproduction which comprise conception, contraception and menopause.
However, now researchers have recognized its many other functions. According to latest hypothesis, the hormone which cascades during menopause also has defensive effects on nerve cells, those occupied in memory. One research showed that oestrogen hormone improves the connections between nerve cells making them more effective.
The hormone can lower the risk of dementia, probably by protecting neurons from damaging chemicals generated in the process of ageing. In a research carried out at McGill University, Canada, which occupied one hundred women who had removed ovaries and womb. It was revealed that those provided oestrogen pills performed better in memory tests.
In a new study trail at Massachusetts will observe sixty participants who will be divided into three groups one is post menopausal women aged forty to fifty-five, second aged seventy to eighty and third women under the age of forty who have suffered an early menopause. The short term memory and concentration are familiar complaints of menopause.
The working memory is used for reasoning and learning, while declarative memories are long-term reminiscences of precise events like going on a holiday. By using two types of brain scans PETs and functional MRIs track blood flow and physical changes, researchers will capable to see if these memory regions become more active in women wearing an oestrogen patch.
The increased flow of blood in brain region together with an area getting thicker over time, signals augment in brain cell activity. The brain scans will be come together tests to evaluate short-term memory in women. Earlier studies have shown that oestrogen may have transitory effect on memory which lasts for few days.
The kind of oestrogen patch being used in the experiment is already accessible here and be likely to be used for menopausal women with low bone density and risk of osteoporosis. The effects of oestrogen on memory and the risk of getting dementia are potentially very exciting, explained Dr Susanne Sorensen, research head at the Alzheimer’s Society.
She added that the vitality of this study is that it is aiming people across a range of age groups including mid-life, which is the best time to diminish your risk of dementia.