Estrogen Is Highly Influential

• Memory issues, along with the ability to pay attention, mood swings, irritability and difficulty finding the correct word for a thought, are due to estrogen deficits, according to Dr. Gavatri Devi, who explains that estrogen influences all the functions of memory,
  
  

Neurotransmitters Take a Hit

• The memory region of our brain is the hippocampus. There are estrogen docking sites in that area of the brain. Estrogen is believed to increase levels of neurotransmitters, which are brain chemicals that serve as messengers. These neurotransmitters include the feel-good chemical serotonin, which has to do with our moods; noradrenaline, which also affects moods; acetylcholine for memory and dopamine for motor coordination. If your estrogen level is deficient, all of the neurotransmitters are impacted and don't do the job as well as they did when you were younger. The ability of the neurotransmitters to "talk to each other" has been compromised.
  
  

Cons of Estrogen Therapy

• Treating memory problems with estrogen is a controversial approach, according to Project-aware.org. Some physicians maintain that estrogen will help remedy memory problems because it promotes growth of estrogen's involvement with the limbic system and the brain. However, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for menopause, in general, is considered risky because of its association with increased risks of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease.
  
  Janna Gordon, R.Ph, of Project-aware-org. cites the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) that came out solidly against the use of estrogen for prevention of cognitive descent and dementia. The WHIMS concluded that estrogen did not decrease the risk of cognitive impairment (including memory issues) or the likelihood of dementia and, in fact, may increase the chances. It must be kept in mind, though, that the women in the study were 65 or older and that may have had some bearing on their natural inclination toward dementia due to age alone.
  
  

Further Studies Needed

• The NIH (Nia.nih.gov) notes that different kinds of estrogens and progestins have become available since the study was done in 2003, so it's imperative that a similar study be conducted based on these hormones to see if they are any safer and more effective than those used in WHIMS.
  
  

Short Term Use

• Using hormone therapy for a short time continues to get the thumbs-up from the FDA because it does control menopause systems and safeguards against bone loss. If you are considering taking synthetic estrogen for menopausal problems, including memory issues, discuss this at length with your physician before making the decision.