Some Menopause Symptoms Tied to Cognitive Impairment

Severe depressive and sexual symptoms of menopause associated with worse cognitive performance

FRIDAY, Jan. 14, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The severity of certain menopause symptoms is associated with worse cognitive performance among rural women, according to a study published online Jan. 10 in Menopause.

Mankamal Kaur and Maninder Kaur, Ph.D., from Panjab University in Chandigarh, India, examined whether the cognitive performance of women is sensitive to the severity of menopausal symptoms. The analysis included 404 rural women (aged 40 to 65 years).

The researchers found that the women experiencing severe menopausal symptoms (higher Total Greene climacteric score) presented significantly lower mean values for orientation, registration, attention, recall, and language/visuo-spatial skills versus peers with mild menopausal symptoms. When adjusting for age, marital status, and educational status, severe depression and greater sexual dysfunction were significantly associated with lower Mini-Mental State Examination scores.

“Mood disturbances are common in the menopause transition and can affect memory and sexual functioning,” Stephanie Faubion, M.D., medical director of the North American Menopause Society, said in a statement. “These findings underscore the importance of evaluating women for menopause symptoms and providing appropriate treatment, when indicated, including treatment of depression and sexual dysfunction.”