2023 Sex and Gender in Alzheimer’s (SAGA) Grant (SAGA)
Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis in mothers: a role for age and menopause
How does pregnancy and menopause impact risk of Alzheimer’s?
Alesia Prakapenka, Ph.D.
Midwestern University
Downers Grove, IL - United States
Background
There are conflicting results in research about whether pregnancy increases or decreases risk for Alzheimer’s in women. A reason for this discrepancy may be that the age at pregnancy and birth matters in considering Alzheimer’s risk. Additionally, menopause is associated with changes in cognitive function. In menopause, levels of certain hormones, including estrogen, drop in the body, and this drop may impact cognition (brain function) and dementia risk. Studies suggest that early menopause correlates with worse symptoms of Alzheimer’s. However, the relationship between age of first pregnancy, age of menopause, and risk of Alzheimer’s has not been well studied.
Research Plan
Dr. Alesia Prakapenka will examine the interaction between the age of first birth and the impact on Alzheimer’s-like symptoms in postmenopausal mouse models. They will use genetically engineered Alzheimer’s-like mice that are bred at different sexually mature ages (2-months, 6-months, and 10-months old). At 11-months old, the mice will then be treated with a drug to induce menopause. They will later assess learning and memory, anxiety-like behaviors, and depressive-like behaviors in the mice. They will also look at a range of biological indicators of Alzheimer’s, including amyloid-beta and tau levels (two hallmark brain changes in Alzheimer’s), glucose levels, inflammatory markers, and markers of energy impairment.
Impact
The results of this study may help understand how the age of first pregnancy and subsequent menopause can impact the development of Alzheimer’s.