Although more than a billion women worldwide will reach menopause by 2030, this critical phase of women's physical and mental health remains under-researched. “We know that the hormonal changes during menopause pose a significant risk to brain health, cognitive function, and emotional well-being, while also increasing susceptibility to age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's,” Prof. Christian Gaser explains. “However, we still known little about how and why the brain changes during this time, and how adverse effects can be identified and counteract early.”
Christian Gaser from Jena University Hospital coordinates the European research network MenoBrain, which aims to fill this knowledge gap. At 18 scientific institutions, 15 doctoral students are beginning their research work in closely coordinated projects to investigate the connection between brain health and menopause. Their work spans topics such as the impact of hormone therapy on cognition, gut–brain communication, and aging processes; the identification of biomarkers for early detection of cognitive decline; and the development of new therapeutic strategies to support personalized medicine for women in menopause.
Three of the projects are based directly at Jena University Hospital: Christian Gaser's group at the Department of Neurology is extending his BrainAGE concept, which uses MRI scans and machine learning algorithms to estimate the biological age of the brain. Christian Gaser: “In the future, we also want to be able to identify menopause-related aging patterns and quantify the influence of hormone therapy.”
The project led by Prof. Kathrin Finke, psychological director of the Jena Memory Center, investigates neurocognitive changes and brain aging processes in women after menopause. The long-term progression of attention, memory, and executive functions analyzed and compared with BrainAGE data.
Dr. Christiane Frahm and Dr. Christian Schmeer from the research laboratory of the Department of Neurology on gut bacteria and the vesicles they release, which transport genetic information and metabolic products to the brain. The project is investigating whether these vesicles differ in women after menopause with high and low cognitive performance.
The MenoBrain network brings together researchers from eleven European countries, combining expertise in neuroimaging, neuropsychology, endocrinology, microbiome research, and bioinformatics. The EU is funding the network with more than €4.4 million over the next four years. Doctoral candidates will begin their scientific projects in the coming weeks, using state-of-the-art methods of imaging, molecular analysis, and data integration. Through secondments in partner laboratories and interdisciplinary training programs, they will acquire interdisciplinary skills and build their own international research network. “MenoBrain not only aims to address a globally relevant women's health issue, but also to empower the next generation of researchers to advance healthy aging and personalized healthcare for women,” emphasizes Christian Gaser.
Further information: MenoBrain homepage
Participating institutions:
- Universitätsklinikum Jena
- Diakonhjemmet Sykehus Oslo
- Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen
- Universiteit Leiden
- Uppsala Universitet
- Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein
- Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale
- Vilniaus Universitetas
- Fundacio Barcelonabeta Brain Research Center
- Paris-Lodron-Universität Salzburg
- Finnadvance Oy Helsinki
- Alzheimer Europe
- Synaptikon GmbH Berlin
- Bastiaanse Communication Bilthoven
- MEDICE Arzneimittel Pütter GmbH
- Science Matters Vlaardingen
- Life Science Writing Wolfratshausen
- University Pompeu Fabra Barcelona