Menopausal symptoms, menopausal stage and cognitive functioning in black urban African women

Correlation between menopausal symptoms and everyday cognition in Chinese (peri)menopausal women

“…hot flashes), objective measurement rather than self-repotting may be related to cognitive decline. However, consistent with Jaff et al [9], our study also used the MRS to assess the six selected symptoms related to cognitive function. The validity and reliability of MRS in assessing the prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms are internationally recognized [12,25].…”

“…The severity of menopausal symptoms is divided into 4 degrees based on the MRS scores: 0-4 points are asymptomatic, 5-8 points are mild, 9-15 points are moderate, and !16 points are severe [13]. In addition, consistent with the study of Jaff et al [9], we also evaluated the MRS six symptoms related to cognition (hot flashes, sleep disturbance, depressive mood, irritability, anxiety, and physical/mental fatigue).…”

“…A study of 400 women aged 25-64 years showed that anxiety and depressive symptoms are the main predictors of subjective memory impairment, and the relationship between subjective memory function and psychological distress is closer than menopause or age [17]. A number of cross-sectional studies [8,9,18] showed that menopausal anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with decreased processing speed. Although the variety of the tools assessing menopausal anxiety and methods measuring cognitive functioning, the results show that anxiety has adverse effects on cognitive function (general or certain domains), further indicating that anxiety an independent risk factor for cognitive decline.…”

“…One study showed that subjective reported hot flashes were related to cognitive decline [6], while another study [7] showed that only hot flashes measured objectively were related to verbal memory. Studies assessing the effect of depressive symptoms on processing speed are conflicting, consistent with either a positive association [8], or a lack of association [9]. In addition, menopausal symptoms rarely occur independently and are often multiple concurrent.…”

The association of vasomotor symptoms during the menopausal transition and cognition in later life

“…Some cross-sectional studies have found that self-reported VMS are associated with worse cognitive testing performance, but others have found no association 9–15 . Previous studies that have found no association have been limited by small sample size, cross-sectional design, and a focus on the periods of perimenopause and early postmenopause, when women are usually in their 40s or 50s and the overall risk for cognitive impairment is low 12–15 .…”