The review brings together evidence from human studies, preclinical research, and neuroscience to explore a question that has been overlooked for far too long: How do ovarian hormones shape the brain throughout life, and what happens when those hormones change?
The central idea is that the brain is an active estrogen-sensing organ. Estrogens do much more than regulate reproduction: they help regulate brain energy metabolism, synaptic plasticity, vascular function, and neuroimmune processes.
This has important implications for what I like to call the three Ps: puberty, pregnancy / postpartum, and perimenopause. These are 3 major neuroendocrine transitions during which the brain adapts to profound changes in ovarian hormone signaling.
This also means menopause is not an alien, isolated reproductive event, but part of a lifelong conversation between the brain and ovaries.
I also discuss evidence linking menopause to Alzheimer’s risk, the complex role of menopause hormone therapy (MHT), and the possibility that midlife represents an important window for risk assessment and prevention.
👉🏼The full article is FREE to read and download only through December 19!
🙌 If this topic matters to you, download the article and share it! Link in my bio and in my stories 💛 or
🔗 copy and paste the link directly in your browser:
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1o1Fu3BtfHGpVP
4 hours agofdwanzeller
Thank you so much for this free article! Amazing! Its so important to give access to quality information about this theme for all of us! Knowledge is the key to prevention and acceptance!
12 hours agocetaceaninspirations
It's getting harder and harder to get estradiol! It's always out of stock, sometimes worldwide due to the demand as more and more women get on it. We need more!!! I hope you will speak too about how to help post menopausal women. We have been missed, shafted, ignored and now feel it's too late to help our brains!
14 hours ago12000waves
The 'three Ps' framing is so useful. It also helps explain why sleep trouble so often clusters around perimenopause rather than arriving out of nowhere. Do you see midlife sleep becoming part of the risk-assessment window you describe?
18 hours agomichaelinedaboul
Can’t wait to read this. We are presenting Brain Health at our Thrive 2026 Summit on Nov 10th. Perfect timing for this paper!
19 hours agokarimakassam2019
Thank you Dr Mosconi for posting the link to the author released version of the article in your post above. I was able to access your article using the link! I really appreciate your hard work in the area of women's brain health!
21 hours agoestherandruthhaircare
This stopped me in my tracks — I never thought of perimenopause as one of three big brain transitions, alongside puberty and pregnancy. It makes so many of those ‘what is happening to me’ moments feel less lonely. Which transition surprised you most when you learned about it?
a day agojodieleelarocque
🙌Thank you so much for your dedication and incredible work Dr Mosconi and thank you for the ability to download the article! ❤️
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