March 25, 2025

Neurological Disorders during Menopause

Written by: Corentin Hugot
Reading time: ~5 min

As women go through menopause, their bodies undergo a complex process that affects multiple organ systems, including the brain. While memory loss and cognitive decline are common, the hormonal changes of menopause are also linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s.

Estrogen plays a key role in brain health, helping to support cognitive function and mood. As estrogen levels decrease, this protection weakens, leading to issues like brain fog, difficulty concentrating, and forgetfulness.

Lower estrogen can also impact serotonin and dopamine, two chemicals that regulate mood, focus, and anxiety. This shift causes mood swings, anxiety, and even depression for many women during menopause.

Estrogen's Impact on the Brain

Estrogen can protect the brain in several ways. There are three main types of estrogen: estriol, estrone, and estradiol.

Estrogen works by binding to specific receptors in brain cells which then activate cells that produce protective proteins, or influence memory, neuron function, and brain plasticity.

These same cells are responsible for downstream processes, like dopamine and seratonin production, which can bring on “borderline” ADHD symptoms. Additionally, estrogen regulates the release of glutamate. During menopause, as estrogen levels decline, this regulation weakens, potentially leading to an imbalance in glutamate activity.

Excessive glutamate signaling can result in excitotoxicity—damage to neurons caused by overstimulation—which is associated with neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's disease. Thus, the drop in estrogen during menopause could increase vulnerability to such disorders due to disrupted glutamate regulation.

Progesterone’s Role in Neuroprotection

Like estrogen, progesterone acts through both slow, gene-activating pathways and faster non-genomic pathways. Progesterone protects neurons by preventing cell death, reducing inflammation, and promoting the repair of damaged brain cells. It also supports the health of myelin, which insulates nerve fibers.

However, simply increasing progesterone levels does not always improve memory or protect against AD. Its role in diseases like Alzheimer’s (AD) is unclear. Research suggests there is a "therapeutic window" for hormone therapy—timing may be crucial for its effectiveness in neuroprotection. However, in some cases, combining progesterone with estrogen in hormone replacement therapy has been linked to a higher risk of AD.

Creatine Supplementation

Creatine is well-known as a performance supplement for athletes, but research is increasingly uncovering its potential neurological and neuroprotective benefits, which may be particularly valuable for menopausal women.

Creatine, with its role in cellular energy production and brain function, can help support brain health and potentially mitigate some of these risks.

Creatine aids brain cells by providing an energy buffer that supports ATP (adenosine triphosphate) levels, which can improve cellular function and resilience, effectively acting as a neuroprotective agent. Studies have shown that creatine can reduce brain energy deficits, a common issue in conditions like Alzheimer’s, potentially helping slow neurodegeneration by keeping neurons more resilient under metabolic and oxidative stress.
Research has found that creatine supplementation is associated with improved short-term memory, reasoning skills, and mental clarity, especially during mentally demanding tasks. For menopausal women, who may struggle with attention and memory due to hormonal fluctuations, creatine could offer a natural way to support cognitive health.
Creatine has shown promise in supporting mood stability, as it assists in the regulation of energy-dependent processes in the brain that are often disrupted in mood disorders. Some research even suggests that creatine may have antidepressant effects by increasing brain energy stores and enhancing the effectiveness of serotonin, which can be particularly beneficial during menopause.

The Sleep Connection

If you’ve noticed changes in your day-to-day cognition, like brain fog, fatigue, higher anxiety, don’t panic! Your body is still trying to figure out how to manage all its complicated systems with a new balance of estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone. What you really need is rest.

Restful sleep is crucial for brain health, impacting memory, emotional regulation, and resilience against neurological disorders. During deep sleep, the brain clears out toxins linked to Alzheimer’s, while inadequate sleep impairs this cleansing, contributing to neurodegenerative disease risks.

Quality sleep also consolidates memory and sharpens cognitive function, while poor sleep disrupts mood regulation and increases stress and inflammation. Quality sleep can be hard to achieve in menopause, when night sweats, hot flashes, and sudden bursts of anxiety interrupt your dreams. While HRT is a good line of defense, regulating your nighttime body temperature is an easy way to slow those interruptions.

That’s why we developed Terra, a first of its kind cooling device made for women in menopause. Terra detects a hot flash before it happens and adjusts your sleep temperature to keep you dreaming and comfortable, so your waking hours are free of the side effects of poor sleep.