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EVERYTHING
Hunting for Why Women’s Brains Age Slower
What: The journal Science Advances published three studies on women’s brains Wednesday, including one that tried to understand why the female brain is more resilient when it comes to aging. Researchers found that some genes in the second “silent” X chromosome in women started waking up as they aged – including one that, when given to male mice, helped them regain memory and cognition.
Key line: “They did not even have to give the gene to many cells, [Dr. Dena Dubal, a professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco] added. ‘Just a little boost went a long way,’ she said. Then she gave the gene therapy to female mice, although they were already making [the gene, known as Plp1]. Their memories and cognition got even better. ‘I’m so excited about this,’ Dr. Dubal said. ‘Even an old brain can become more youthful and function better.’”
Source: New York Times
PREGNANCY+ POSTPARTUM
Brain Scans Reveal Differences with Postpartum Depression
What: Another study in Science Advances found that in women with postpartum depression symptoms, areas of the brain that are involved in processing and control of emotions grew in size after childbirth. The study scanned the brains of dozens of women in the weeks before and after childbirth.
Key line: “The new study appears to be the first to scan and compare brain areas during pregnancy and after childbirth and link the changes to postpartum depression, said Elseline Hoekzema, a neuroscientist who heads the Pregnancy and the Brain Lab at Amsterdam University Medical Center and was not involved in the study.”
Source: New York Times
ABORTION ACCESS
Arizona’s 15-Week Abortion Ban Is Finally Over
What: Arizona Mirror reports that the state’s 15-week abortion ban is officially over. Arizona voted last year to protect abortion access in the state constitution, but the ban itself wasn’t officially dead until a Maricopa County judge struck it down in a suit brought by Planned Parenthood and local OBGYNs.
Key line: “Abortion rights advocates celebrated the ruling, which has been long-awaited and represents the first win in tearing down Arizona’s many hostile abortion laws. More than two dozen anti-abortion laws remain on the books, including laws that mandate a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion can be performed and forbid the use of telehealth to prescribe the abortion pill. Each of those will likely need to be individually challenged in court.”
Source: Arizona Mirror
MENOPAUSE
The Latest on Delaying Menopause
What: Time runs down what’s happening on research and experiments to delay menopause. Stacey Colino details different approaches, including surgically removing pieces of ovaries and freezing them, or taking the immunosuppressant drug rapamycin.
Key line: “Indeed, some people believe (without proof) that delaying menopause could extend women’s lifespans and healthspans. ‘There isn’t evidence that this is a fountain of youth,’ says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of the Menopause Society and director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health. ‘At the end of the day, it would be super cool if we could make the ovary not time-out, but I don’t know how we could do that, and we don’t know what the potential downsides are.’”
Source: Time
More Menopause Symptoms Tied to Dementia
What: A study of nearly 900 postmenopausal women found those who reported more menopausal symptoms were more likely to have markers of dementia, like poorer cognitive function and mild behavioral impairment.
Key line: “The authors conclude that a higher menopausal symptom burden may indicate susceptibility to cognitive and behavioral changes later in life. The study acknowledges the need for further investigation to confirm these findings in a larger dataset, ideally with a longitudinal design to allow for determination of causality.”
Source: PLOS
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