Grant: Project Grant

Pregnancy and motherhood exert long-lasting effects on brain health, this research explores how previous pregnancy affects the aging brain. Women are diagnosed with Alzheimer' Disease more than men, and estrogens are protective for the female brain. Menopause is associated with cognitive decline and hormone therapies (HTs) that positively affect cognition depend on estrogen type (estradiol v. estrone). Parity (pregnancy and mothering) has persisting effects on the aging brain and our research shows that the sensitivity of the female brain to estrogens is altered with past parity. Estrone-based HT was associated with poorer cognition and reduced brain health in previous mothers, but better cognition and enhanced brain health in never mothers. Furthermore in women with Alzheimer's disease parity is associated with cognitive function but this may depend on genotype. The goal of this proposal is to study the effects of parity and genotype on aging in the female brain in preclinical models and in women to determine how previous parity alters brain aging and what form of HT improves dementia risk with parity and genotype.