The 'menopause' and the aging brain: causes and repercussions of hypoestrogenicity

We are beginning to recognize that the regulation of reproductive senescenc e in females and its consequences are more complex than originally thought. We now realize that the brain plays an important role in the transition to infertility in rodents and perhaps contributions to the perimenopausal tra nsition in women. Furthermore, the absence of estrogens leads to changes in many physiological systems. Thus, it is becoming clear that it is importan t to understand the broad impact of the prolonged hypoestrogenic state that characterizes the menopause.