Aging and Estrogen on Cortical Function

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2013-12-02
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: Female

Summary

This study will focus on how estrogen affects parts of the brain associated with memory and how the effect of estrogen is altered with aging in postmenopausal women.

• Phase: Phase 1/Phase 2
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital
• Collaborator: National Institute on Aging (NIA)
• Treatments: Estradiol; Estradiol 17 beta-cypionate; Estradiol 3-benzoate; Estradiol valerate; Estrogens; Polyestradiol phosphate

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. young postmenopausal (age 45-55) or older (age 65-80) postmenopausal women

2. otherwise healthy, non-obese women with normal blood pressure and a history of normal menopause, defined by the absence of menses for at least 12 months

3. prescription hormone replacement treatment discontinued at least 3 months before study

4. Normal or corrected normal vision

5. Intelligence quotient (IQ) > 70 on the Wechsler Adult Reading Test (WTAR)*

6. Absence of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and depression on the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE)** and Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II).***

7. Normal mammogram or breast MRI within the past 2 years

Exclusion Criteria

1. On gonadal hormone replacement medication, herbal supplements and/or over the counter menopause treatment within three months of study

2. History of radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

3. Absolute contraindications to the use of physiologic replacement doses of estrogen and/or history of coronary artery disease

4. History of breast cancer, blood clot, pulmonary embolus, hypercoagulability and stroke.

5. On centrally acting medications

6. History of head trauma and/or neurologic disorder

7. Contraindication to MRI (eg. metal implants) or PET imaging (eg. PET imaging studies in the previous 12 months)

8. Concurrent participation in research studies involving medications and/or PET scans.

9. Left handedness.

10. Current breast lump(s) or family/genetic history of breast cancer in younger women (< 40 years old).

11. Current smoking