Estrogen Modulation of Mood and Cognition Following Monoaminergic Depletion in Post-Menopausal Women
Estrogen Modulation of Mood and Cognition Following Monoaminergic Depletion in Post-Menopausal Women
This study will examine whether estrogen administration in postmenopausal women can alter the
 response to changes in brain chemistry brought about by dietary manipulation. Women who are
 recently menopausal (50-60 yrs. of age) and over 20 years postmenopausal (>70 yrs. of age)
 will take estrogen or placebo for three months. At the end of that time they will participate
 in three challenges using dietary techniques to briefly change the relative amounts of
 neurotransmitters in the brain that are believed to be related to mood regulation (serotonin,
 dopamine, and norepinephrine). Previous research has shown that these dietary manipulations
 can briefly produce negative changes in mood. The investigator hypothesizes that estrogen
 administration will blunt or buffer these negative effects in a quantifiable way. The
 investigator believes that this will provide a direct test of the ability of estrogen to
 meaningfully change the brain chemistry of mood in a clinically measurable and positive way.
 The proposed procedure will also allow assessment of the effects of estrogen on brain
 neurotransmitter systems after many years of very low estrogen levels.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Postmenopausal

 -  Non-smoker

 -  BMI <30

 -  Healthy

 -  Without surgically-induced menopause

 -  Not on HRT or >1 year post HRT

 -  Normal mammogram within last year

 -  No cardiovascular disease other than mild hypertension