Expert ReplyCondition analysis:
Exacerbation of mood symptoms during
Menopause has been noted in women with preexisting bipolar disorder. Research has suggested that women with bipolar disorder have higher rates of depressive episodes during the menopausal transition. The frequency of depressive episodes in this population appears to be higher than during premenopausal years. Earlier studies suggested an increase in rapid cycling during the menopausal transition; however, this finding has not been reproduced.
Instructions:
Maintenance of cognitive function: Data from observational studies suggest that estrogen may prevent or delay the onset of dementia, including Alzheimer disease, especially when estrogen therapy is started in young postmenopausal women.
The data do not suggest that estrogen is helpful for maintaining cognitive function in all perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. The Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) was a study of postmenopausal women older than 65 years who were unlikely to have preexisting dementia. The women were monitored by means of serial Mini Mental Status Examinations. No improvement in global cognitive functioning was observed with estrogen treatment.