Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/dLeTpUalcco Fluctuating and diminishing hormones in association with menopause trigger word-finding challenges.  A preliminary multisite study directed by neuroscientists and gynecologists at the University of Illinois studied 14 menopausal women with verbal memory tests, symptom diaries, and functional MRIs.   The data confirm previous observations that menopausal women with hot flashes demonstrate verbal memory reduction.   The MRI findings of altered hippocampal and prefrontal cortical function during reported hot flash symptoms now demonstrate the causes of these verbal inadequacies.   Word-retrieval brain fades occur for us all, but increase with age.  Coping strategies include: Continue expressing your thought without the specific word. Use humor to defuse your anxiety. Consult a thesaurus.      Maki PM1,2,3, Wu M4, Rubin LH5, Fornelli D6, Drogos LL2,7, Geller S3, Shulman LP8,9, Banuvar S8, Little DM10, Conant RJ11.  Hot flashes are associated with altered brain