Effects of estrogen replacement therapy on human brain aging: An in vivo H-1 MRS study

Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) may preserve cognitive function in postm enopausal women, but the mechanism is unknown. Thus, the authors studied ag ing of parietal lobe and hippocampus using proton MR spectroscopy. ERT naiv e postmenopausal women had a significant increase in choline-containing com pounds (Cho) compared to long-term ERT users and young women. Cho reflects increased neuronal/glial membrane turnover. Thus, ERT's "neuroprotective" e ffect may include modulating the effects of age on neural integrity in brai n regions involved in cognitive function.