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Postmenopausal confusion is a symptom of menopause; women face problems with cognition during and after menopause due to hormonal imbalances. ==Causes== Estrogen affects the serotonergic, cholinergic, dopaminergic, and noradrenergic systems, all of which are key to maintaining regular functioning in both survival and cognition. Seratonin and dopamine also play key roles in mood, which alters drastically with menopause as these hormone levels decrease, as a result of estrogen decline. Furthermore, the ratio of testosterone to estrogen changes as testosterone is now of higher quantity, causing a more easily angered disposition and allowing stress to seem more prevalent than before menopause.〔 During menopause, the amygdala, which controls emotion, and the prefrontal cortex, which regulates judgment, become more regular. Estrogens, a group of hormones including estradiol and estrone, are secreted by the ovaries and the secretion is regulated by leutenizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), both of which are produced by the pituitary gland. In women, estrogen levels fluctuate during the menstrual cycle but reach a steady decline and then remain at low levels postmenopause. Behavioral studies suggest that estradiol augments cognition that occurs within the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. It can also enhance long term potentiation (LTP) which is key at the neurocellular level for memory and learning and is mostly affected at the neuroanatomical level of CA1 pyramidal cells, NMDAr receptors, and AMPAr receptors. Microglia are glial cells in the brain that make estrogen and produce cytokines and immune proteins in response to estrogen. These cells play a large role in neuroinflammation which can in turn lead to disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Estrogen can play an anti-inflammatory role with microglia, which can protect the CNS against the stimuli that promote such diseases. Endorphins modify core body temperature and trigger mechanisms which allow the body to reduce heat such as sweating and sending blood closer to the body's surface where the blood can be cooled. Postmenopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats initiated by the fluctuation in endorphins, may cause stress, leading to negativity, depression, and anxiety, which in turn can lead to cognitive decline. At the cellular level, oestrogen binds to nuclear receptors, such as oestrogen receptors ER α/β, and acts as a transcription factor. It increases the production of anti-apoptotic proteins and prevents the initiation of apoptosis. It also activates antioxidants which work as defenses reducing negative factors such as glutathione levels and oxidative DNA damage in mitochondria. This programmed cell death and other damage of mitochondria has long been found as a key mechanism in Alzheimer's.〔 The decline in estrogens during menopause, which in turn produces a decrease in glucose, is shown in the prefontal cortex as well as the posterior cingulate.〔〔 〕 Alzheimer's patients have been shown to have abnormal glucose metabolism in these areas, also adding to the conclusion that estrogen has a direct relation to the development of Alzheimer's.〔〔 〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Postmenopausal confusion」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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