Health, Imaging, and Cognition Across the Menopausal Transition
NCT ID: NCT07021664
Last Updated: 2025-06-15
Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
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NOT_YET_RECRUITING
45 participants
OBSERVATIONAL
2025-07-01
2026-07-01
Brief Summary
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Emerging evidence suggests that the decline in estrogen may impair how the brain uses glucose, its primary energy source. This reduction in glucose metabolism is thought to contribute to cognitive difficulties reported during midlife. In contrast, the brain's capacity to use ketones-alternative energy substrates produced during fasting or low-carbohydrate intake-appears preserved during aging and hormonal changes. Increasing circulating ketones may offer a promising strategy to support brain energy and cognitive function.
To explore these relationships, the study will employ advanced brain imaging (PET scans) to assess glucose and ketone uptake in the brain. Additional measures will include hormone levels, cognitive testing, continuous glucose monitoring, and MRI. PET tracers will also be used to evaluate estrogen receptor distribution, providing insight into how the brain responds to hormonal changes.
A total of 45 women aged 35-60 will be enrolled and categorized into three groups (15 per group): premenopause, perimenopause, and postmenopause. Each participant will attend four study visits that include questionnaires, blood tests, cognitive assessments, metabolic measurements, and imaging procedures.
The results may help identify early neurobiological and metabolic markers associated with the menopausal transition. These findings could inform new approaches to preserve brain health and prevent cognitive decline in aging women. Improving understanding of how the female brain adapts to hormonal shifts may ultimately support more targeted strategies for promoting healthy aging.
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Detailed Description
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Conditions
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Study Design
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CASE_CONTROL
CROSS_SECTIONAL
Study Groups
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premenopause
Women between 35 and 55 years old who still have regular menstrual cycles, with no noticeable changes in the past 10 months.
No interventions assigned to this group
perimenopause
Women between 40 and 60 years old who have experienced changes in their menstrual cycles, such as irregular timing (varying by more than 7 days) for at least 10 cycles, or no period for 3 to 11 months.
No interventions assigned to this group
postmenopause
Women between 45 and 65 years old who have not had a menstrual period for 12 months or more.
No interventions assigned to this group
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
Perimenopause: Women aged 40 to 60; Menstrual cycles varying by more than 7 days per cycle for at least 10 cycles, or no period for 3 to 11 months
postmenopause: Women aged 45 to 65; No menstrual period for ≥ 12 months
Exclusion Criteria
* Use of hormone replacement therapy or hormonal contraceptives in the past 6 months
* contraindications to MRI (e.g., presence of non-compatible metallic objects)
* Claustrophobia
* Type 1 diabetes
* Adherence to a ketogenic intervention (e.g., ketone supplements, intermittent fasting, ketogenic diet) in the past 3 months
* Engaging in intense physical activity 5 times per week or more
* Any significant neurological disorder (e.g., dementia, brain tumor, seizure disorder, history of significant head trauma with persistent neurological deficits, known structural brain abnormalities)
* History of oophorectomy or hysterectomy
* Any significant psychiatric disorder (e.g., major depression within the past 2 years, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia)
* Systemic diseases or unstable/uncontrolled medical conditions (e.g., cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled diabetes, kidney or liver disorders)
* Any other condition that may interfere with participation, as judged by the study physician
35 Years
65 Years
FEMALE
No
Sponsors
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Nestlé Health Science
INDUSTRY
Université de Sherbrooke
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Principal Investigators
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Stephen Cunnane, Ph.D
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Université de Sherbrooke
Locations
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Centre de recherche sur le Vieillissement
Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Countries
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Central Contacts
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Facility Contacts
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References
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Andy C, Nerattini M, Jett S, Carlton C, Zarate C, Boneu C, Fauci F, Ajila T, Battista M, Pahlajani S, Christos P, Fink ME, Williams S, Brinton RD, Mosconi L. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of menopause hormone therapy on cognition. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2024 Mar 4;15:1350318. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1350318. eCollection 2024.
Castellano CA, Baillargeon JP, Nugent S, Tremblay S, Fortier M, Imbeault H, Duval J, Cunnane SC. Regional Brain Glucose Hypometabolism in Young Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Possible Link to Mild Insulin Resistance. PLoS One. 2015 Dec 9;10(12):e0144116. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144116. eCollection 2015.
Mosconi L, Nerattini M, Matthews DC, Jett S, Andy C, Williams S, Yepez CB, Zarate C, Carlton C, Fauci F, Ajila T, Pahlajani S, Andrews R, Pupi A, Ballon D, Kelly J, Osborne JR, Nehmeh S, Fink M, Berti V, Dyke JP, Brinton RD. In vivo brain estrogen receptor density by neuroendocrine aging and relationships with cognition and symptomatology. Sci Rep. 2024 Jun 20;14(1):12680. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-62820-7.
Paquette M, Phoenix S, Lavallee E, Rousseau JA, Guerin B, Turcotte EE, Lecomte R. Cross-Species Physiological Assessment of Brain Estrogen Receptor Expression Using 18F-FES and 18F-4FMFES PET Imaging. Mol Imaging Biol. 2020 Oct;22(5):1403-1413. doi: 10.1007/s11307-020-01520-w. Epub 2020 Jul 22.
Arjmand S, Bender D, Jakobsen S, Wegener G, Landau AM. Peering into the Brain's Estrogen Receptors: PET Tracers for Visualization of Nuclear and Extranuclear Estrogen Receptors in Brain Disorders. Biomolecules. 2023 Sep 18;13(9):1405. doi: 10.3390/biom13091405.
Fortier M, Castellano CA, St-Pierre V, Myette-Cote E, Langlois F, Roy M, Morin MC, Bocti C, Fulop T, Godin JP, Delannoy C, Cuenoud B, Cunnane SC. A ketogenic drink improves cognition in mild cognitive impairment: Results of a 6-month RCT. Alzheimers Dement. 2021 Mar;17(3):543-552. doi: 10.1002/alz.12206. Epub 2020 Oct 26.
Fortier M, Castellano CA, Croteau E, Langlois F, Bocti C, St-Pierre V, Vandenberghe C, Bernier M, Roy M, Descoteaux M, Whittingstall K, Lepage M, Turcotte EE, Fulop T, Cunnane SC. A ketogenic drink improves brain energy and some measures of cognition in mild cognitive impairment. Alzheimers Dement. 2019 May;15(5):625-634. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.12.017. Epub 2019 Apr 23.
Croteau E, Castellano CA, Richard MA, Fortier M, Nugent S, Lepage M, Duchesne S, Whittingstall K, Turcotte EE, Bocti C, Fulop T, Cunnane SC. Ketogenic Medium Chain Triglycerides Increase Brain Energy Metabolism in Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2018;64(2):551-561. doi: 10.3233/JAD-180202.
Cunnane SC, Trushina E, Morland C, Prigione A, Casadesus G, Andrews ZB, Beal MF, Bergersen LH, Brinton RD, de la Monte S, Eckert A, Harvey J, Jeggo R, Jhamandas JH, Kann O, la Cour CM, Martin WF, Mithieux G, Moreira PI, Murphy MP, Nave KA, Nuriel T, Oliet SHR, Saudou F, Mattson MP, Swerdlow RH, Millan MJ. Brain energy rescue: an emerging therapeutic concept for neurodegenerative disorders of ageing. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2020 Sep;19(9):609-633. doi: 10.1038/s41573-020-0072-x. Epub 2020 Jul 24.
Mosconi L, Brinton RD. How would we combat menopause as an Alzheimer's risk factor? Expert Rev Neurother. 2018 Sep;18(9):689-691. doi: 10.1080/14737175.2018.1510320. Epub 2018 Aug 13. No abstract available.
Mosconi L, Berti V, Quinn C, McHugh P, Petrongolo G, Osorio RS, Connaughty C, Pupi A, Vallabhajosula S, Isaacson RS, de Leon MJ, Swerdlow RH, Brinton RD. Perimenopause and emergence of an Alzheimer's bioenergetic phenotype in brain and periphery. PLoS One. 2017 Oct 10;12(10):e0185926. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185926. eCollection 2017.
Mosconi L, Berti V, Quinn C, McHugh P, Petrongolo G, Varsavsky I, Osorio RS, Pupi A, Vallabhajosula S, Isaacson RS, de Leon MJ, Brinton RD. Sex differences in Alzheimer risk: Brain imaging of endocrine vs chronologic aging. Neurology. 2017 Sep 26;89(13):1382-1390. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000004425. Epub 2017 Aug 30.
Snyder HM, Asthana S, Bain L, Brinton R, Craft S, Dubal DB, Espeland MA, Gatz M, Mielke MM, Raber J, Rapp PR, Yaffe K, Carrillo MC. Sex biology contributions to vulnerability to Alzheimer's disease: A think tank convened by the Women's Alzheimer's Research Initiative. Alzheimers Dement. 2016 Nov;12(11):1186-1196. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.08.004. Epub 2016 Sep 27.
Gold EB, Sternfeld B, Kelsey JL, Brown C, Mouton C, Reame N, Salamone L, Stellato R. Relation of demographic and lifestyle factors to symptoms in a multi-racial/ethnic population of women 40-55 years of age. Am J Epidemiol. 2000 Sep 1;152(5):463-73. doi: 10.1093/aje/152.5.463.
Delanerolle G, Phiri P, Elneil S, Talaulikar V, Eleje GU, Kareem R, Shetty A, Saraswath L, Kurmi O, Benetti-Pinto CL, Muhammad I, Rathnayake N, Toh TH, Aggarwal IM, Shi JQ, Taylor J, Riach K, Potocnik K, Litchfield I, Kemp HF, Briggs P; MARIE collaborative. Menopause: a global health and wellbeing issue that needs urgent attention. Lancet Glob Health. 2025 Feb;13(2):e196-e198. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00528-X. Epub 2024 Dec 18. No abstract available.
Harlow SD, Gass M, Hall JE, Lobo R, Maki P, Rebar RW, Sherman S, Sluss PM, de Villiers TJ; STRAW + 10 Collaborative Group. Executive summary of the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop + 10: addressing the unfinished agenda of staging reproductive aging. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Apr;97(4):1159-68. doi: 10.1210/jc.2011-3362. Epub 2012 Feb 16.
Mosconi L, Rahman A, Diaz I, Wu X, Scheyer O, Hristov HW, Vallabhajosula S, Isaacson RS, de Leon MJ, Brinton RD. Increased Alzheimer's risk during the menopause transition: A 3-year longitudinal brain imaging study. PLoS One. 2018 Dec 12;13(12):e0207885. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207885. eCollection 2018.
Other Identifiers
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2025-58-28
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
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