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Neuroendocrinology

Oestrogen therapy affects brain structure but not function

According to new research, oestrogen therapy in postmenopausal women is associated with ventricular enlargement and increased white matter hyperintensities in the brain, but not with cognitive decline. This disconnect between structural and functional effects suggests that brain-derived lipids can be harnessed to meet the bioenergetic demand imposed by normal cognition.

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Correspondence to Roberta Diaz Brinton.

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Brinton, R. Oestrogen therapy affects brain structure but not function. Nat Rev Neurol 12, 561–562 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2016.147

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