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Estrogen replacement and cognition in postmenopausal women: effect of years since menopause on response to treatment
Author(s) -
Dunkin Jennifer,
Rasgon Natalie,
Zeller Michelle,
WagnerSteh Kristi,
David Steven,
Altshuler Lori,
Rapkin Andrea
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
drug development research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.582
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1098-2299
pISSN - 0272-4391
DOI - 10.1002/ddr.20054
Subject(s) - estrogen , menopause , placebo , medicine , clinical trial , cognition , psychology , psychiatry , alternative medicine , pathology
Abstract The use of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) to treat or prevent cognitive changes has become highly controversial in the past several years. Recent studies have suggested that participant age might play an important role in clinical response to estrogen. Specifically, previous studies have suggested that the age of participants might be a critical factor in drug response in that younger or more recently postmenopausal women might benefit more than older women and might help to explain conflicting results of other studies. In the present study, we used a randomized, placebo‐controlled design and a transdermal estrogen preparation composed of 17‐beta estradiol. Twenty depressed subjects and 17 age‐matched nondepressed control subjects were tested. A neuropsychological battery was administered at baseline and after completion of the 10‐week trial, and test scores were grouped into four composite scores using psychometric techniques. Baseline to follow‐up change was analyzed using repeated measures analysis of covariance. Results indicate that, while little overall beneficial effect of estrogen was found, years since menopause was significantly related to change in executive functioning in the estrogen group, but not the placebo group. Thus, more recently postmenopausal women demonstrated greater positive change than older women. This finding occurred in both the depressed sample and the control subjects. These results suggest that reproductive events are related to the clinical response to ERT, and that it might be worthwhile re‐analyzing results of prior studies with this variable in mind. Drug Dev. Res. 66:150–159, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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