“Wait, What Was I Saying?”: Why Women Experience Memory Changes in Midlife

By Dr. Anne Marie Valinoti

Multitasking. Reasoning. Planning. Busy moms rely on these features of executive functioning to keep things humming in their homes and workplaces. Most moms we know place cognitive sharpness at the top of the list when it comes to what they value about their health.

However, many women, at midlife, note changes in their mental acuity. They may have trouble with concentration, keeping track of tasks or conversations, or recalling names or words. Many of our patients report what they call “brain fog” and it can be a very upsetting and worrisome symptom to experience.

First and foremost: this is very common phenomenon in healthy women. Some studies will note that up to 60 percent of women questioned experience this. There are a variety of reasons why women, especially, are affected by this problem.

Societal expectations often place women in charge of childcare, eldercare and household management, which can lead to stress and sleep disruption. The role of sleep-in maintaining brain health cannot be overstated. How many of us have lain awake at night –ruminating over the next day’s schedule or waiting for that teenager to come home?

And to add insult to injury, the hormone changes of menopause can negatively affect mental functioning. Hot flashes that disturb sleep and the loss of estrogen’s direct effect on the brain are no help to our memory system.

So, what to do? Women often ask if menopausal hormone treatment can improve cognition. It is important to state that the current research does not support the use of hormones to preserve cognition and prevent dementia. A clinician should not tell you otherwise.

However, for women who are experiencing severe night sweats and sleep deprivation as a result, hormone treatment during menopause could certainly help the mental fatigue and fogginess that results from insomnia. In fact, hormone treatment in these cases can be hugely beneficial. Attention to rest, stress reduction and exercise is very important to maintaining brain health in midlife. Limiting alcohol and avoiding medications that can cause cognitive blunting are also critical measures to take. Brain health is also supported by taking part in mentally challenging activities – whether it’s learning a new sport, language, or musical instrument – or just working at an intellectually stimulating job.

The good news is that the mental “fuzziness” that many women experience in midlife is usually benign and time-limited. More serious neurological issues are far less common. Your doctor can help identify the cause of symptoms, rule out any concerning medical conditions, and suggest ways to feel better.

So, the next time you forget the name of the movie you saw last month or walk into a room forgetting what you went in there for, don’t panic. But also don’t be shy about reaching out to your physician for help for this common problem. 

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Dr. Anne Marie Valinoti | Harley Street Medical

Dr. Anne Marie Valinoti is a physician at Harley Street Medical in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ, bringing more than two decades of internal medicine experience to her patients. She joins HSM from the Valley Medical Group/Prospect Medical offices, having been recognized as a Top Doctor by Castle Connolly for over 15 years and as an Exceptional Woman in Medicine.

If you’d like to learn more about concierge medicine or Harley Street Medical, please email inquiries@harleystreetmed.com, call (551) 284-4044, or visit our website at www.harleystreetmed.com/nj.