Ovarian hormones, sleep and cognition across the adult female lifespan: An integrated perspective

•Sleep is modulated by ovarian hormones in females across adult lifespan.•Ovarian hormones also influence certain cognitive domains.•Sleep loss impacts similar abilities, but biological sex often not considered.•Animal models are crucial for understanding the benefits of sleep on cognition. Loss of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in neuroendocrinology 2017-10, Vol.47, p.134-153
Main Authors: Gervais, Nicole J., Mong, Jessica A., Lacreuse, Agnès
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Cognition - physiology
Estrogens
Estrogens - blood
Executive function
Female
Hormone replacement therapy
Human
Humans
Memory
Menopause
Primate
Progesterone
Progesterone - blood
Rodent
Sleep - physiology
Sleep loss
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Summary:•Sleep is modulated by ovarian hormones in females across adult lifespan.•Ovarian hormones also influence certain cognitive domains.•Sleep loss impacts similar abilities, but biological sex often not considered.•Animal models are crucial for understanding the benefits of sleep on cognition. Loss of ovarian function in women is associated with sleep disturbances and cognitive decline, which suggest a key role for estrogens and/or progestins in modulating these symptoms. The effects of ovarian hormones on sleep and cognitive processes have been studied in separate research fields that seldom intersect. However, sleep has a considerable impact on cognitive function. Given the tight connections between sleep and cognition, ovarian hormones may influence selective aspects of cognition indirectly, via the modulation of sleep. In support of this hypothesis, a growing body of evidence indicates that the development of sleep disorders following menopause contributes to accelerated cognitive decline and dementia in older women. This paper draws from both the animal and human literature to present an integrated view of the effects of ovarian hormones on sleep and cognition across the adult female lifespan.
ISSN:0091-3022
1095-6808
DOI:10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.08.002