Changes to the female brain during menopause, together with social and cultural factors, might affect disease risk
_NATURE MEDICINE
Globally, two thirds of people with Alzheimer’s disease are female. Although women generally outlive men and thus face greater risks of aging-related diseases, a growing group of scientists have not been satisfied with this explanation and, therefore, have pioneered research on sex and gender differences in dementia to tackle this — and other unanswered questions.
One of these scientists is Roberta Brinton. In the 1980s, Brinton engaged in a conversation that would redefine her career. At that time, she was a postdoctoral researcher at Rockefeller Hospital in New York City, investigating molecular and cellular mechanisms of learning and memory. It was there that she met Rowena Ansbacher, a retired psychologist. The two women strolled for hours along the Rockefeller University campus esplanade, delving into the rivalries among influential psychologists such as Freud, Jung and Adler. Ansbacher lived in the hospital as a participant in a clinical trial of Alzheimer’s disease. One evening, Brinton accompanied her friend to her room and said goodnight. After closing the door, she waited for about 30 seconds before knocking again and entering. “Do you remember me, Dr. Ansbacher?” she inquired. The elderly woman replied softly, “I’m so sorry, should I?”
For over 30 years, Brinton has reflected on that moment. On that day, she says, she decided to shift her focus from studying memory mechanisms to conducting research to discover why the female brain was more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease. “Women live on average just 4.5 years longer than men,” she says. “That doesn’t explain a disease that is 20 years in the making.”
Sofia Moutinho 