Memory complaints in younger postmenopausal women are associated with differences in brain structure and may serve as an early marker for risk of future cognitive decline, according to a study published June 22 in Menopause by Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers.

Beginning this month, researchers from VUMC and the University of Vermont are launching a study to examine whether cognitive changes that occur at menopause for some women are related to an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease.

To help aging individuals be more proactive about their memory health, VUMC is offering free memory screenings to anyone age 55 and older.

The ways certain proteins spread may help explain why the prevalence of Alzheimer’s is higher in women than in men.

Women who have had repeated depressive episodes tend to pay more attention to negative emotional information, suggesting that they may benefit from cognitive therapy to build new, more positive pathways in their brains.

A genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease in later life appears to benefit younger adults as they age.

Treating depressed individuals and figuring out who will and won’t respond to antidepressants is mostly trial and error — much to the frustration of patients and the health care providers who treat them.