Gonadotropins and Cognition in Older Women

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Rodrigues, Mark A.^a | Verdile, Giuseppe^a | Foster, Jonathan K.^a | Hogervorst, Eva^f | Joesbury, Karen^a | Dhaliwal, Satvinder^c | Corder, Elizabeth H.^h | Laws, Simon M.^a | Hone, Eugene^a | Prince, Richard^e | Devine, Amanda^b | Mehta, Pankaj^g | Beilby, Johnⁱ | Atwood, Craig S.^d | Martins, Ralph N.^{a; *}

Affiliations: [a] Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease Research and Care; The Sir James McCurker Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Hollywood Private Hospital; Centre for Ageing and Alzheimer's Disease, School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup; School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, WA, Australia | [b] School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia | [c] School of Public Health, Curtin University of Technology, WA, Australia | [d] Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin and Geriatrics Research, Education and Clinical Center, VA Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, USA and Centre for Aging and Alzheimer's Disease and School of Biomedical & Sports Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia | [e] School of Medicine and Pharmacology, SCGH Unit, University of Western Australia; Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, WA 6009, Australia | [f] Loughborough University, Department of Human Sciences, UK | [g] Institute For Basic Research In Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY 10314, Australia | [h] Center for Demographic Studies, 346 Trent Hall, Duke University, Box 90409, Durham, NC 27708-0409, USA | [i] PathCentre, Western Australian Centre for Pathology and Medical Research (Clinical Biochemistry), Nedlands, WA, Australia

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Ralph N. Martins, Centre for Aging and Alzheimer's Disease, School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup 6027, Australia. Tel.: +618 9347 4200/ 6304 5456; Fax: +618 9347 4212/ 6304 5851; E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: Recent research studies associate elevated gonadotropin levels with dementia. Specifically, an age associated increase in levels of luteinizing hormone has been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between gonadotropin levels and cognition in older, healthy postmenopausal women. Cognitive functioning was compared with plasma levels of estradiol, luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, Aβ40 and APOE genetic status in 649 community-dwelling, non-demented older women residing in Western Australia. High endogenous luteinizing hormone levels were associated with a lower cognitive score, especially in older women and in those women that were depressed. Unexpectedly, disproportionately well preserved cognitive functioning was found for the oldest women who had high endogenous levels of follicle stimulating hormone. The findings indicate that gonadotropins can impact upon cognitive functioning in older postmenopausal women, and that luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone may exert contrasting effects. Taken together, the findings have important implications for the development of possible preventive strategies for dementia.

Keywords: Amyloid-β40, APOE, Cambridge Cognitive Examination, estradiol, follicle stimulating hormone, gonadotropin releasing hormone, luteinizing hormone

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-2008-13304

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 267-274, 2008