Understanding the Link Between Parity and Dementia
Abstract
Dementias, including Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, are devastating diseases and as the aging population increases, their incidence does as well. Given the striking sex/gender difference in the prevalence of dementia, it is urgently important to understand the unique social and biological factors that predispose females. There is growing concern over potential impacts of ovarian hormones (e.g., oral contraceptive use and hormone replacement therapy during/after menopause), but reproductive experience is wildly understudied as a risk factor for dementia. Dementia is characterized by cognitive difficulties likely caused by impaired hippocampal plasticity and function. Intriguingly, postpartum females typically experience reduced hippocampal plasticity, volume, and function while lactating. Whether these transient changes have long-lasting effects that confer or ameliorate risk during aging has become a point of curiosity. Data from humans suggest reproductive and maternal experience increase disease risk and severity. The amount of risk differs with the number of children a woman has, her genetic risk factors, and even where geographically she lives. While some studies suggest an increased risk, others show a reduced risk of dementia, and these disagreements may be related to the number of offspring gestated and raised, culture, etc. In the few controlled experiments in nonhuman animals, parity had an age and genotype-dependent effect on cognitive deficits related to aging in transgenic mice. As these findings are preliminary, our goal is to fill the gap in research and provide insight into whether parity impacts hippocampal function and plasticity in aging and disease, and how it does so.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Lisa Robinson, Dr. Mary (Allie) Holschbach
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-5-2023 12:00 PM
End Date
4-6-2023 4:00 PM
Understanding the Link Between Parity and Dementia
Alvin Sherman Library
Dementias, including Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, are devastating diseases and as the aging population increases, their incidence does as well. Given the striking sex/gender difference in the prevalence of dementia, it is urgently important to understand the unique social and biological factors that predispose females. There is growing concern over potential impacts of ovarian hormones (e.g., oral contraceptive use and hormone replacement therapy during/after menopause), but reproductive experience is wildly understudied as a risk factor for dementia. Dementia is characterized by cognitive difficulties likely caused by impaired hippocampal plasticity and function. Intriguingly, postpartum females typically experience reduced hippocampal plasticity, volume, and function while lactating. Whether these transient changes have long-lasting effects that confer or ameliorate risk during aging has become a point of curiosity. Data from humans suggest reproductive and maternal experience increase disease risk and severity. The amount of risk differs with the number of children a woman has, her genetic risk factors, and even where geographically she lives. While some studies suggest an increased risk, others show a reduced risk of dementia, and these disagreements may be related to the number of offspring gestated and raised, culture, etc. In the few controlled experiments in nonhuman animals, parity had an age and genotype-dependent effect on cognitive deficits related to aging in transgenic mice. As these findings are preliminary, our goal is to fill the gap in research and provide insight into whether parity impacts hippocampal function and plasticity in aging and disease, and how it does so.
