Effects of Sex Hormones and Age on Brain Volume in Post-Menopausal Women

Abstract

Background: Investigation of the effect of sex hormones on the brain volume in women provides a unique opportunity to examine menopause-related morphometric alterations. Aim: To evaluate brain morphological alterations in post-menopausal women using voxel-based morphometry and its correlations with sex hormone levels. Methods: 20 Pre-menopausal women and 20 post-menopausal women underwent structural MRI. Outcomes: T1-weighted magnetic resonance data were acquired and serum sex hormones including total estrogen, estriol, estradiol (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone, free testosterone, SHBG, and luteinizing hormone were measured. Results: Post-menopausal women showed decreased gray matter (GM) in the supplementary motor area (SMA), inferior frontal gyrus, olfactory cortex, and superior temporal gyrus as contrasted with pre-menopausal women using analysis of covariance (P