Effect of menopause on cognitive performance in women with Down syndrome

We compared cognitive function in nondemented pre- and postmenopausal women with Down syndrome, aged 21-57 years, with their age-matched male peers. T he Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability-Revised were used to assess cognitive function at baseline and 2 years later. Premenopausal women perfo rmed better than their age-matched male peers, while postmenopausal women p erformed more poorly than age-matched male peers (p=0.007). Premenopausal w omen and young men showed no significant declines in cognition over time. P ostmenopausal women, but not their age-matched male peers, showed significa nt declines in cognitive function. Our results support the hypothesis that cognitive declines in postmenopausal women are associated with estrogen def iciency rather than with age. NeuroReport 12:2659-2662 (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.