Delving into the link between estrogen and dementia
Is there a link between estrogen and dementia? Dr. Gillian Einstein of the University of Toronto thinks there could be.
"Most of the studies, including non-human animal studies suggest that estrogen is really positive for your brain," Einstein told CBC's Ottawa Morning.
Einstein is in Ottawa to give a lecture on the topic as the final speaker in the Canadian Museum of Nature's "Talk Brain" series.
"One of the things we see is that women who get dementia often are in the menopausal age, and we think that estrogen deprivation might play a role."
Studies show when women are given hormone replacements, their memory begins to improve — particularly the kind of memory that deteriorate with Alzheimer's disease, Einstein said.
"Something called verbal memory — remembering lists of words — and something called spatial memory —remembering where you parked your car on a given day in a garage — those kinds of things are improved with hormone replacement."
Extra stress another factor
Roughly 70 per cent of dementia sufferers are women — a statistic that could be potentially linked to social factors, not just physical ones, Einstein said.
"Women are usually the primary caregivers of their children. This is a big strain, especially if they work and they take care of the house. Women have extra jobs usually in life."
Einstein said that added stress has been linked to dementia, as well as to depression and insomnia, which are also more prevalent in women.
Despite the evidence, Einstein said there are still a lot of unanswered questions about the link between the female hormone and cognition.
Einstein will deliver her lecture 7 p.m. Thursday at the Canadian Museum of Nature. The free event is fully reserved, but the museum may still be able to accommodate walk-ins.
