雅思阅读 099: The Brain in Menopause

Adapted from 'Something unique seems to be happening to the brain in menopause', Scientific American, September 2026.

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Scientists have long known that womens brains undergo substantial remodeling during puberty and pregnancy. These hormonal shifts are linked to rewiring of neural networks and reductions in the volume of cortical gray matter, the wrinkly outer layer involved in memory, reasoning and movement. But far less is known about what happens to the brain during menopause.

Now a new study published in Nature Communications sheds light on how the brain changes in menopause. Unlike during puberty and pregnancy, the menopausal transition does not appear linked to an overall decrease in cortical gray matter volume. The finding suggests the female brain responds in different ways to hormonal shifts throughout life.

No one had looked at changes in whole-brain matter during the menopause transition before, said Sophie van t Hof, a PhD student at Amsterdam University Medical Center and first author of the study.

Gray matter declines as people age regardless of sex. But by comparing women going through menopause with those who were premenopausal and postmenopausal, the researchers found little change in gray matter volume during menopause. The results suggest sex hormone levels affect the brain differently at different life stages.

This is really fundamental research. It is about understanding the basic brain mechanisms of the female brain, which has long been overlooked, van t Hof said.

The study has limitations. Participants self-reported their stage of menopause without hormone tests. It also does not fully agree with previous research that found distinct reductions in gray matter in the hippocampus during menopause.

Van t Hof said it is too soon to link any structural brain changes to cognitive function. The results call for further research.

Questions 1-5

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

1. What happens to the brain during puberty and pregnancy? A. Gray matter volume decreases B. Gray matter volume increases C. The brain stops working D. Nothing changes
2. What did the menopause study find? A. Gray matter decreased sharply B. Gray matter did not decrease overall C. The brain doubled in size D. Hormones had no effect
3. Who is the first author? A. A professor at Harvard B. Sophie van t Hof, a PhD student C. A doctor in London D. A patient
4. What is a limitation of the study? A. Too many participants B. Participants self-reported their menopause stage C. It was conducted on animals D. It lasted only one day
5. Previous research found reductions in gray matter in what region? A. The cerebellum B. The hippocampus C. The brain stem D. The cortex

Questions 6-10

Do the following statements agree with the information? Write TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN.

6. Gray matter declines as people age.
7. The study was published in Nature.
8. The researchers confirmed menopause stages with hormone tests.
9. Van t Hof says it is too soon to link changes to cognitive function.
10. All previous research agrees with this study.

Questions 11-13

Complete the summary. Choose ONE WORD ONLY.

During puberty and pregnancy, gray matter 11. But during menopause, little 12 was found. The study suggests hormones affect the brain 13 at different life stages.

Answers

1. A 2. B 3. B 4. B 5. B
2. TRUE 7. FALSE 8. FALSE 9. TRUE 10. FALSE
3. decreases 12. change 13. differently

Key Vocabulary

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