JAMA Network Home
Sign In
Editor's Pick Original Investigation

Age at Menopause and Brain Atrophy Among Older Women

JAMA Network Open 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.30973

August 25, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT

Read the full article

In this cohort study of older women, earlier menopause was associated with less favorable functional and structural neurological outcomes, with associations persisting and intensifying decades after the menopausal transition. These findings position menopause age as a midlife-identifiable marker for risk stratification, offering a window for targeted prevention before structural or cognitive changes become apparent.

Explore JAMA+ Women's Health for more Women's Health research, commentary, multimedia, and resources from across JAMA Network.

Led by Editor in Chief Linda Brubaker, MD, JAMA+ Women's Health is a curated source of trusted clinical information that advances health care for women worldwide. Dr Brubaker is also a JAMA Deputy Editor.

Corresponding Author: Riley M. Bove, MD, UCSF Weill Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Ln, San Francisco, CA 94158 (riley.bove@ucsf.edu).

Link to the article in your story

We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.30973?utm_source=for_the_media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_term=082526

Copy to clipboard

Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Need more information? Contact us.

Editor's Picks