Koebele Stephanie V, Bimonte-Nelson Heather A
Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, United States; Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ 85006, United States.
Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, United States; Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ 85006, United States.
Exp Gerontol. 2017 Aug;94:14-23. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2016.12.011. Epub 2016 Dec 13.
Female mammals undergo natural fluctuations in sex steroid hormone levels throughout life. These fluctuations span from early development, to cyclic changes associated with the menstrual or estrous cycle and pregnancy, to marked hormone flux during perimenopause, and a final decline at reproductive senescence. While the transition to reproductive senescence is not yet fully understood, the vast majority of mammals experience this spontaneous, natural phenomenon with age, which has broad implications for long-lived species. Indeed, this post-reproductive life stage, and its transition, involves significant and enduring physiological changes, including considerably altered sex steroid hormone and gonadotropin profiles that impact multiple body systems, including the brain. The endocrine-brain-aging triad is especially noteworthy, as many paths meet and interact. Many of the brain regions affected by aging are also sensitive to changes in ovarian hormone levels, and aging and reproductive senescence are both associated with changes in memory performance. This review explores how menopause is related to cognitive aging, and discusses some of the key neural systems and molecular factors altered with age and reproductive hormone level changes, with an emphasis on brain regions important for learning and memory.
雌性哺乳动物一生中性类固醇激素水平会自然波动。这些波动贯穿早期发育、与月经周期或发情周期及怀孕相关的周期性变化、围绝经期显著的激素波动，以及生殖衰老期的最终激素水平下降。虽然向生殖衰老的转变尚未完全明了，但绝大多数哺乳动物会随着年龄增长经历这种自发的自然现象，这对长寿物种具有广泛影响。事实上，这个生殖后生命阶段及其转变涉及重大且持久的生理变化，包括性类固醇激素和促性腺激素水平显著改变，这些变化会影响包括大脑在内的多个身体系统。内分泌 - 大脑 - 衰老三联体尤其值得关注，因为许多路径交汇并相互作用。许多受衰老影响的脑区也对卵巢激素水平变化敏感，衰老和生殖衰老都与记忆表现的变化有关。本综述探讨了更年期与认知衰老的关系，并讨论了一些随年龄和生殖激素水平变化而改变的关键神经系统和分子因素，重点关注对学习和记忆重要的脑区。
