Menopause and the Brain: What the Research Really Says with Dr. Lauren Streicher

In this episode of the Brain Health Kitchen podcast, Dr. Annie Fenn is joined by Dr. Lauren Streicher, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a leading expert in menopause medicine. Together, they explore what happens to the brain during perimenopause and menopause, including brain fog, hot flashes, sleep disruption, and the role of hormone therapy. They discuss why brain fog during perimenopause is usually not a sign of dementia, what the research does and does not show about estrogen and Alzheimer’s prevention, why hot flashes deserve real medical attention, and how to think about testosterone with more caution and less hype. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Lauren Streicher 07:21 Menopause and the brain 12:22 Brain fog, sleep, and hot flashes 19:45 Hormone therapy and timing 25:55 Starting hormone therapy after 60 34:45 Testosterone, libido, and side effects 45:03 Can hormone therapy prevent Alzheimer’s? Links Mentioned Brain Health Kitchen on Substack https://brainhealthkitchen.substack.com Dr. Lauren Streicher’s Substack, Menopause Insider https://drstreicher.substack.com Dr. Lauren Streicher’s website https://drstreicher.com Come Again: Sexuality and Orgasm https://drstreicher.com/comeagain The Menopause Society https://menopause.org SWAN Study (Study of Women Across the Nation):  https://www.swanstudy.org NeuroReserve https://neuroreserve.com Better Brain https://betterbrain.com/annie Dr. Lauren Streicher on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drstreich