Investigating the Link Between Perimenopause and Alzheimer’s Risk

Dr. Holly Hunsberger, an assistant professor at the university's Center for Neurodegenerative Disease and Therapeutics, will lead the five-year investigation. The project centers on the hippocampus, the brain’s primary engine for memory and learning. By tracking how fluctuating estrogen levels during the menopausal transition disrupt communication between hippocampal cells, the team hopes to identify exactly when and how these circuits become vulnerable to pathology.

While some women navigate this transition with minimal cognitive impact, others report significant difficulties with memory and mood. The research aims to distinguish the biological markers that differentiate these experiences. Janice Urban, RFU’s interim executive vice president for research, noted that mapping these neural shifts is a vital step toward developing preventative strategies. With women facing a 1 in 5 lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer’s after age 65, the findings could provide a foundation for new clinical interventions tailored to female brain health.