The Link Between Estrogen and The Brain

Dr. Meharvan Singh is the Vice Dean of Research for Stritch School of Medicine and a professor in the Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology at Loyola University Chicago. On September 10th he presented his research on how hormones affect the brain, in particular how they influence aging and neurodegenerative diseases. He discussed how estrogen can enhance cognitive performance, increase neurotrophin, and play a role in protecting cells. While estrogen is very beneficial, women end up spending one third of their life in an estrogen and progesterone deprived state due to menopause. In one of Dr. Meharvan’s many studies his lab removed the ovaries in rats which directly removes the source of estrogen and progesterone. This resulted in a dramatic reduction in BDNF which is an important protein that is important in memory, learning, and survival of nerve cells. Results from Dr. Singh’s study may show evidence for a correlation between a lack of certain hormones, such as estrogen, and the onset of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. 

The Science Daily’s article, “Estrogen Supplements May Protect Against Dementia,” sheds more light on this topic. The Norwegian University of Science and Technology also conducted research on the role of estrogen and neurodegenerative diseases using estrogen supplements before or at the start of menopause. Some findings include, “MRIs of the brains of the women in the study showed that those who had taken estrogen supplements throughout menopause had a larger hippocampus.” The onset of dementia has been correlated with a decrease in the size of the hippocampus. Therefore, taking estrogen supplements increases the volume of the hippocampus which could be associated with slowing the progression of dementia.

While some studies present proof that estrogen therapy can be linked to protecting from some neurodegenerative diseases, others highlight the risks of estrogen therapy. The Science Daily’s article notes on the other hand how a combination of estrogen and progestin has been seen to increase the risk of heart disease and breast cancer. In some studies it has also been seen to lead to “poorer memory and a greater risk for dementia than the control group.” Therefore, estrogen therapy has some risks that should not be ignored. Further research needs to be done to investigate the link between hormones and the brain to be able to fully understand its association.

Works Cited:

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). "Estrogen supplements may protect against dementia." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 22 January 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/01/160122083802.htm>.