The Washington Post (5/14, Cimons) reported, “The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health says up to two-thirds of women in perimenopause report cognitive problems, although estimates as to the extent of affected women differ among experts.” It’s also “still unclear what causes these deficits – hormones or other factors – and whether they continue postmenopause.” One recent study “of low-income women of color, some of them HIV infected, suggests that cognitive declines may linger into postmenopause for some, although demographics also may influence this, says Stephanie Faubion, medical director of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), which published the research in its journal, Menopause.” Peter Schmidt, “chief of the behavioral endocrinology branch at the National Institute of Mental Health and one of the study authors, says: ‘I think it’s very clear that a subgroup of women do develop depression, for some for the first time in their lives, and there is evidence that declining estrogen contributes to its development.’” (SOURCE: APA Headlines)