Menopausal symptom burden as a predictor of mid- to late-life cognitive function and mild behavioral impairment symptoms: A CAN-PROTECT study.

<h4>Background</h4>Recent evidence suggests the experience of menopausal symptoms (i.e., perimenopausal symptoms) may be associated with cognitive and behavioural changes. We investigated these two relationships in a sample of postmenopausal females.<h4>Design</h4>Cross-secti...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jasper F E Crockford, Dylan X Guan, Gillian Einstein, Clive Ballard, Byron Creese, Anne Corbett, Ellie Pickering, Adam Bloomfield, Pamela Roach, Eric E Smith, Zahinoor Ismail
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0301165
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849423432035336192
author Jasper F E Crockford
Dylan X Guan
Gillian Einstein
Clive Ballard
Byron Creese
Anne Corbett
Ellie Pickering
Adam Bloomfield
Pamela Roach
Eric E Smith
Zahinoor Ismail
author_facet Jasper F E Crockford
Dylan X Guan
Gillian Einstein
Clive Ballard
Byron Creese
Anne Corbett
Ellie Pickering
Adam Bloomfield
Pamela Roach
Eric E Smith
Zahinoor Ismail
author_sort Jasper F E Crockford
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Background</h4>Recent evidence suggests the experience of menopausal symptoms (i.e., perimenopausal symptoms) may be associated with cognitive and behavioural changes. We investigated these two relationships in a sample of postmenopausal females.<h4>Design</h4>Cross-sectional observational study.<h4>Setting</h4>Participant data was collected from the Canadian Platform for Research Online to Investigate Health, Quality of Life, Cognition, Behaviour, Function, and Caregiving in Aging (CAN-PROTECT) study.<h4>Participants</h4>896 postmenopausal female participants.<h4>Methods</h4>Menopausal symptom burden was operationalized by summing the total number of recalled perimenopausal symptoms experienced. Cognitive function was measured using the Everyday Cognition (ECog-II) Scale, with higher scores reflecting greater severity. Mild Behavioral Impairment (MBI) was measured using the Mild Behavioral Impairment Checklist (MBI-C), with higher scores reflecting greater severity. A negative-binomial regression model examined the relationship between menopausal symptom burden and cognitive function, while a zero-inflated negative binomial regression model examined the relationship between menopausal symptom burden and MBI symptoms. Models adjusted for age, years of education, age of menopausal onset, type of menopause, and hormone therapy (HT). Age of menopausal onset and use of HT in the two associations were investigated with moderation analyses.<h4>Results</h4>Greater menopausal symptom burden was associated with higher ECog-II total scores (b [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 5.37 [2.85, 7.97]) and higher MBI-C total scores (b [95% CI] = 6.09 [2.50, 9.80]). Use of HT did not significantly associate with ECog-II total scores (b [95% CI] = -10.98 [-25.33, 6.35]), however, HT was significantly associated with lower MBI-C total scores (b [95% CI] = -26.90 [-43.35, -5.67]).<h4>Conclusions</h4>Menopausal symptom burden is associated with poorer cognitive function and more MBI symptoms in mid- to late life. HT may help mitigate symptoms of MBI. These findings suggest that the experience of menopause may indicate susceptibility to cognitive and behavioural changes, both markers of dementia.
format Article
id doaj-art-fd2bdeb338a64a179ec7f4fb99449c09
institution Kabale University
issn 1932-6203
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj-art-fd2bdeb338a64a179ec7f4fb99449c092025-08-20T03:30:35ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01203e030116510.1371/journal.pone.0301165Menopausal symptom burden as a predictor of mid- to late-life cognitive function and mild behavioral impairment symptoms: A CAN-PROTECT study.Jasper F E CrockfordDylan X GuanGillian EinsteinClive BallardByron CreeseAnne CorbettEllie PickeringAdam BloomfieldPamela RoachEric E SmithZahinoor Ismail<h4>Background</h4>Recent evidence suggests the experience of menopausal symptoms (i.e., perimenopausal symptoms) may be associated with cognitive and behavioural changes. We investigated these two relationships in a sample of postmenopausal females.<h4>Design</h4>Cross-sectional observational study.<h4>Setting</h4>Participant data was collected from the Canadian Platform for Research Online to Investigate Health, Quality of Life, Cognition, Behaviour, Function, and Caregiving in Aging (CAN-PROTECT) study.<h4>Participants</h4>896 postmenopausal female participants.<h4>Methods</h4>Menopausal symptom burden was operationalized by summing the total number of recalled perimenopausal symptoms experienced. Cognitive function was measured using the Everyday Cognition (ECog-II) Scale, with higher scores reflecting greater severity. Mild Behavioral Impairment (MBI) was measured using the Mild Behavioral Impairment Checklist (MBI-C), with higher scores reflecting greater severity. A negative-binomial regression model examined the relationship between menopausal symptom burden and cognitive function, while a zero-inflated negative binomial regression model examined the relationship between menopausal symptom burden and MBI symptoms. Models adjusted for age, years of education, age of menopausal onset, type of menopause, and hormone therapy (HT). Age of menopausal onset and use of HT in the two associations were investigated with moderation analyses.<h4>Results</h4>Greater menopausal symptom burden was associated with higher ECog-II total scores (b [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 5.37 [2.85, 7.97]) and higher MBI-C total scores (b [95% CI] = 6.09 [2.50, 9.80]). Use of HT did not significantly associate with ECog-II total scores (b [95% CI] = -10.98 [-25.33, 6.35]), however, HT was significantly associated with lower MBI-C total scores (b [95% CI] = -26.90 [-43.35, -5.67]).<h4>Conclusions</h4>Menopausal symptom burden is associated with poorer cognitive function and more MBI symptoms in mid- to late life. HT may help mitigate symptoms of MBI. These findings suggest that the experience of menopause may indicate susceptibility to cognitive and behavioural changes, both markers of dementia.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0301165
spellingShingle Jasper F E Crockford
Dylan X Guan
Gillian Einstein
Clive Ballard
Byron Creese
Anne Corbett
Ellie Pickering
Adam Bloomfield
Pamela Roach
Eric E Smith
Zahinoor Ismail
Menopausal symptom burden as a predictor of mid- to late-life cognitive function and mild behavioral impairment symptoms: A CAN-PROTECT study.
PLoS ONE
title Menopausal symptom burden as a predictor of mid- to late-life cognitive function and mild behavioral impairment symptoms: A CAN-PROTECT study.
title_full Menopausal symptom burden as a predictor of mid- to late-life cognitive function and mild behavioral impairment symptoms: A CAN-PROTECT study.
title_fullStr Menopausal symptom burden as a predictor of mid- to late-life cognitive function and mild behavioral impairment symptoms: A CAN-PROTECT study.
title_full_unstemmed Menopausal symptom burden as a predictor of mid- to late-life cognitive function and mild behavioral impairment symptoms: A CAN-PROTECT study.
title_short Menopausal symptom burden as a predictor of mid- to late-life cognitive function and mild behavioral impairment symptoms: A CAN-PROTECT study.
title_sort menopausal symptom burden as a predictor of mid to late life cognitive function and mild behavioral impairment symptoms a can protect study
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0301165
work_keys_str_mv AT jasperfecrockford menopausalsymptomburdenasapredictorofmidtolatelifecognitivefunctionandmildbehavioralimpairmentsymptomsacanprotectstudy
AT dylanxguan menopausalsymptomburdenasapredictorofmidtolatelifecognitivefunctionandmildbehavioralimpairmentsymptomsacanprotectstudy
AT gillianeinstein menopausalsymptomburdenasapredictorofmidtolatelifecognitivefunctionandmildbehavioralimpairmentsymptomsacanprotectstudy
AT cliveballard menopausalsymptomburdenasapredictorofmidtolatelifecognitivefunctionandmildbehavioralimpairmentsymptomsacanprotectstudy
AT byroncreese menopausalsymptomburdenasapredictorofmidtolatelifecognitivefunctionandmildbehavioralimpairmentsymptomsacanprotectstudy
AT annecorbett menopausalsymptomburdenasapredictorofmidtolatelifecognitivefunctionandmildbehavioralimpairmentsymptomsacanprotectstudy
AT elliepickering menopausalsymptomburdenasapredictorofmidtolatelifecognitivefunctionandmildbehavioralimpairmentsymptomsacanprotectstudy
AT adambloomfield menopausalsymptomburdenasapredictorofmidtolatelifecognitivefunctionandmildbehavioralimpairmentsymptomsacanprotectstudy
AT pamelaroach menopausalsymptomburdenasapredictorofmidtolatelifecognitivefunctionandmildbehavioralimpairmentsymptomsacanprotectstudy
AT ericesmith menopausalsymptomburdenasapredictorofmidtolatelifecognitivefunctionandmildbehavioralimpairmentsymptomsacanprotectstudy
AT zahinoorismail menopausalsymptomburdenasapredictorofmidtolatelifecognitivefunctionandmildbehavioralimpairmentsymptomsacanprotectstudy