Ms Lina Ye1,2, Dr Anastasia Suraev1,2, Professor Sharon Naismith1,2
1The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia, 2Brain & Mind Research Institute, Camperdown, Australia
Biography:
Lina Ye is a PhD candidate in the Healthy Brain Ageing Program at the Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney. Her research focuses on the menopause transition as a critical window for brain health. She uses multimodal approaches, integrating sleep, cognitive, hormonal, and blood-based biomarker data to investigate early mechanisms of neurodegeneration. Lina is currently leading the development of a longitudinal menopause clinic study examining dynamic hormonal changes and their links to neuroinflammation and cognitive function. Her work aims to inform early identification and prevention strategies for women at risk of dementia.
Aims:
Perimenopause is marked by neurological symptoms, including cognitive complaints, sleep disruption, mood disturbance, and vasomotor symptoms, yet mechanisms linking endocrine changes to brain health remain unclear. This study aims to determine how dynamic hormonal changes across the menopause transition relate to neuroinflammation, cognitive function, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers, and whether lifestyle factors modify these relationships.
Methods:
This mixed cross-sectional and longitudinal study will recruit 170 symptomatic women aged 40–55 years (perimenopausal/early postmenopausal; STRAW+10). Baseline assessments include neuropsychological testing, validated questionnaires (menopause, sleep, mood, lifestyle), and fasting blood sampling for reproductive hormones, inflammatory markers, and AD biomarkers (p-tau, Aβ42/40, NfL). Optional measures include actigraphy, oximetry, and neuroimaging. Follow-ups occur at 3 and 6 months (online) and 12 months (in person). A subset (n=50) will complete a 6-week intensive phase with weekly hormone assays, cognitive testing, and symptom tracking. Data will be analysed using regression and multilevel models.
Results:
Recruitment and data collection are underway. We hypothesise that dynamic hormonal changes will be associated with neuroinflammation, symptom burden, and cognitive outcomes.
Conclusions:
This study will provide novel, mechanistic insight into menopause-related brain vulnerability and inform precision prevention strategies targeting midlife women at risk of cognitive decline.