“We know that having both ovaries removed before natural menopause causes abrupt endocrine dysfunction, which increases the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. But few neuroimaging studies have been conducted to better understand the underlying mechanisms.” said study author Michelle Mielke, Ph.D., professor and chair of epidemiology and prevention at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in a press release.
For the study, the researchers analyzed MRI data from 22 participants who had undergone PBO before age 40, 43 who had PBO between ages 40 and 45, 39 who had PBO between 46 and 49 years old, and 907 who did not undergo PBO before 50 years old.
Ultimately, the researchers found that women who had PBO before age 40 had significantly reduced white matter integrity in multiple areas of the brain compared to women who had not undergone PBO before age 50. They also noted that women who had PBO between the ages of 45-49 years also had some changes in white matter integrity.
The researchers further found that over 80% of the participants who had their ovaries removed also had a history of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT). They were thus unable to determine whether ERT after PBO reduced the effects of PBO on white matter integrity.
“Having both ovaries removed results in an abrupt decrease in both estrogen and testosterone in women,” said Mielke, “Therefore, one possible explanation for our results is the loss of both estrogen and testosterone.”
“While these findings are important for women to consider before having premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy for non-cancerous conditions, we need a larger and more diverse cohort of women to validate these results,” concluded Mielke.
Sources: Neuroscience News, Alzheimer’s & Dementia
