MENOPAUSE AND THE MIND

A significant heads-up for women over 30, along with reassurance and a detailed action plan: yes, there are measurable cognitive changes that occur in midlefe as a result of changing hormone levels, and yes, there are pharmaceutical, dietary, and other measures that can be taken to alleviate or even reverse the changes. Warga, a neuropsychologist, aims this book at educating women and their physicians, as well as pointing health-care researchers in the right direction for more thorough investigation. The root cause of the syndrome (which Warga dubs Warga’s Hormonal Misconception Syndrome, WHMS) is dropping estrogen levels. It includes a range of intermittent disturbances or lapses in memory, speech, attention, behavior, or thinking. Part two of this volume looks at the cause: Warga explains clearly the current understanding of the neurochemical interplay between estrogen and the brain. Part three sets out thorough screening tools for self-diagnosis. In part four, Warga gives extensive, thorough advice on alleviating the symptoms and correcting the cause: hormone replacement therapy, glucose, phytoestrogens, antioxidants, antiinflammatories, along with mental exercises and drills, and learning new ways of focusing on tasks. Choosing the right health- care provider is paramount: choose someone who is knowledgeable about the existing evidence, understanding of the problem, and alert to new treatment options. This book offers validation and hope for those affected by the syndrome. A welcome, emminently worthwhile guide.