Movement and brain health in perimenopausal and early postmenopausal females: A scoping review

Introduction

The menopause transition is associated with dramatic fluctuations and eventual decline in levels of ovarian hormones, leading to loss of neuroprotection, marking this as an important intervention period for brain health promotion in females. Physical activity and exercise can improve brain health in older, postmenopausal females. Whether movement (physical activity and exercise) can protect brain health in perimenopausal and early postmenopausal females is not clear.

Objective

The objective of this scoping review was to map the literature examining the relationship between movement and brain health in perimenopausal and early postmenopausal females, with a focus on identifying key methodological approaches and gaps in the knowledge.

Inclusion criteria

This scoping review considered studies of any design that included a movement component with a primary focus on perimenopausal females and secondary focus on early postmenopausal females, with a brain health outcome.

Methods

This scoping review followed JBI recommendations and methodology and the PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines. The following databases were searched: Medline All (OVID), Embase (OVID), APA PsycInfo (OVID), Scopus (Elsevier), CINAHL (Ebsco), and SportDiscus (Ebsco). Details about participant population, study methods, and key findings were extracted.

Results

Of the 30,927 identified records, 19 studies were included in the synthesis, with 3 studies conducted with only perimenopausal females, 8 studies with only early postmenopausal females, and 8 studies with a mixed cohort. Aerobic training was the most common form of movement (n = 7) and executive function was the most common brain health outcome measured (n = 12). Benefits of movement on brain health were seen in 13 studies (68.4%).

Conclusion

In this scoping review, we cover the limited research published to date that explores movement and brain health in perimenopausal and early postmenopausal females. While current research provides promising support for the effectiveness of exercise and physical activity to promote brain health during this period of the lifespan, more high-quality studies in perimenopause are needed with standardized reproductive staging and comprehensive brain health and menopausal symptom measures to establish the effectiveness of exercise during this critical neuro-aging period.

Protocol registration

doi: 10.17605/OSF.IO/F52JR