LIFETIME ESTROGEN EXPOSURE AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE IN ELDERLY WOMEN

Research has found an association between estrogen levels and cognitiv e performance in pre-and postmenopausal women. This study examined the relationship between factors associated with estrogen exposure and co gnitive performance in 84 neurologically intact postmenopausal women. After controlling for the effects of age and education, an index of ex posure was associated with better performance on measures of naming (B oston Naming Test; p = .04), verbal comprehension (Token Test; p = .05 ; Aural Comprehension, p = .04; Reading Comprehension, p = .03), and f igure drawing (DRAW; p = .05). These results suggest that increased es trogen exposure over one's lifetime has significant implications for l ater cognitive functioning.