Declínio cognitivo e perimenopausa: revisão sistemática

Abstract

Perimenopause is characterized by a decrease in sexual hormones and a reduction of their activities in the central nervous system, which results in neurological symptoms such as vasomotor dysregulation, mood alterations, sleep and cognition disorders. The literature is controversial about the timing and type of cognitive disorders related to perimenopause. Therefore, the aim of this study was to review the scientific literature to identify the period and the most common cognitive disorders related to the perimenopause. The databases Pubmed, Lilacs and Scielo were searched with the descriptors menopause, perimenopause and cognition. Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, nine articles were selected. The results showed that there is a direct relation between sexual hormones reduction and cognitive decline. Episodic, visual and verbal memories, verbal fluency, attention and processing speed were the most affected functions. However, most of the studies showed selection and diagnoses biases. In conclusion, the perimenopause is related to cognitive decline. It is important to highlight that because of the population ageing and consequent increase in the number of women in the perimenopause, the development of more robust studies is necessary in order to not only investigate the cognitive decline, but to also develop clinical and therapeutic approaches of success.