Intro to series: Menopause what every woman needs to know.

Pink October is wrapping up, and as this subject is very much on my mind right now, I’m devoting the rest of this month to Menopause,

Menopause often brings cognitive changes such as brain fog, characterised by forgetfulness and trouble concentrating. These symptoms are linked to hormonal shifts, especially declining Oestrogen, which affects brain health.

While really, really frustrating, brain fog can be managed through lifestyle changes, and support.  (or at least, that’s what the experts say, normally in the most condescending way possible, cause of course it’s all in your head).

I believe that understanding the science behind menopause and subsequent, brain fog empowers women, ie. you the reader, to take control of your cognitive well-being and seek the support you deserve.

Full List of References for this Series

Unpacking placebo and working memory training effects on …PNAS https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2214268119  

Menopause Marketing: Tapping into a Billion-Dollar Opportunity https://winsomemarketing.com/womenshealth-marketing/menopause-marketing-tapping-into-a-billion-dollar-opportunity

Brain Fog Program https://cerebrofit.org/brain-fog-program/

Cognitive Training and Its Impact on Working Memory: A Deep Dive into the Findings of a Recent StudyCogniFit Blog: Brain Health News https://blog.cognifit.com/cognitive-training-and-its-impact-on-workingmemory-a-deep-dive-into-the-findings-of-a-recent-study/  

Understanding the brain during menopause https://www.imsociety.org/2023/10/24/understanding-thebrain-during-menopause/

Global awareness raising of menopause ‘brain fog’. https://campaigncollective.org/2022/10/18/globalawareness-raising-of-menopause-brain-fog/  

How to Manage Menopause Brain Fog: 7 Natural Remedies https://www.menopausecentre.com.au/how-tostop-menopause-brain-fog-7-natural-remedies/

The Effects of Working Memory Training on Brain ActivityPMC https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7911688/

Me, menopause, and marketingInizio Evoke https://www.inizioevoke.com/latest/article/me-menopauseand-marketing

Do brands still treat the Menopause as a marketing moment? https://www.creativebrief.com/bite/thoughtleadership/do-brands-still-treat-menopause-marketing-moment

Working Memory Training in Post-Secondary Students with ADHD https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0137173  

International Menopause Society encourages evidence https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WMD_Press-Release-2022_for-clinicians_FINAL.pdf 

Meemo: The Whole-Class Working Memory Training Programme https://www.elklan.co.uk/MeeMo/

Working Memory Trainingan overview | ScienceDirect Topics https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/working-memory-training

Brain Fog To Breakthroughs: Helping Women In Menopause Thrive … https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesscording/2024/12/09/brain-fog-to-breakthroughs-helping-women-in-menopause-thrive-at-work/

Why working women may have better memory as they age https://www.news4jax.com/health/2020/11/30/why-working-women-may-have-better-memory-as-they-age/

Yes, There’s Actually An Online Training For Improving Your Memory And It’s Worth It | Entrepreneur https://www.entrepreneur.com/living/yes-theres-actually-an-online-training-for-improving-your/346765

Brain fog in menopause: a health-care professional’s guide for … https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13697137.2022.2122792

Figuring Out Brain Fog: A Neurocounseling Approach to Personalized Menopausal Mental Health Care https://researchopenworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/AWHC-7-743.pdf

Shining a light on the missing menopause marketSmartBrief https://www.smartbrief.com/original/shininga-light-on-the-missing-menopause-market

Noom. (2025, April 9). Menopause Brain Fog: Causes & Relief Strategies for 2025. https://www.noom.com/blog/weight-management/menopause-brain-fog/

The Pocket Doctor. (2022, September 7). Eleven best ways to beat brain fog in menopause. https://thepocketdoctor.org/eleven-best-ways-to-beat-brain-fog-in-menopause/

Dr. Louise Newson. (2024, October 2). How to beat menopausal brain fogHormone Health Hub. https://www.drlouisenewson.co.uk/knowledge/how-to-beat-menopausal-brain-fog

Stella. (2023, June 1). Complete Symptom Guide to Menopause Brain Fog. https://us.onstella.com/menopause-symptoms/menopause-and-brain-fog/  

Nava Center. (2024, March 9). A Root-Cause Approach to Optimizing Brain Health in Menopause. https://navacenter.com/a-root-cause-approach-to-optimizing-brain-health-in-menopause/

RAND Corporation. (2025, April 2). Understanding Meno-Fog: Navigating Brain Fog During Menopause. https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2025/04/understanding-meno-fog-navigating-brain-fog-during.html

The Better Menopause. (2024, September 10). Menopause Brain Fog: Causes, Treatments, How Long it Lasts. https://thebettermenopause.com/blogs/the-better-gut-community/menopause-brain-fog

University of Oklahoma. (2025, April 23). Low Iron Could Cause Brain Fog During Menopause Transition. http://www.ou.edu/news/articles/2025/april/low-iron-brain-fog-menopause.html  

Hone Health. (2025, May 5). Best Supplements for Menopause Brain Fog in 2025. https://honehealth.com/edge/best-supplements-for-menopause-brain-fog/

Menopause Brain Fog: Causes & Relief Strategies for 2025Noom https://www.noom.com/blog/weightmanagement/menopause-brain-fog/

Eleven best ways to beat brain fog in menopauseThe Pocket Doctor https://thepocketdoctor.org/elevenbestways-to-beat-brain-fog-in-menopause/  

How to beat menopausal brain fogHormone Health Hub https://www.drlouisenewson.co.uk/knowledge/how-to-beat-menopausal-brain-fog

Complete Symptom Guide to Menopause Brain Fog | Stella https://us.onstella.com/menopause-symptoms/menopause-and-brain-fog/  

A Root-Cause Approach to Optimizing Brain Health in Menopause https://navacenter.com/a-root-causeapproach-to-optimizing-brain-health-in-menopause/  

Understanding Meno-Fog: Navigating Brain Fog During Menopause https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2025/04/understanding-meno-fog-navigating-brain-fog-during.html

Menopause Brain Fog: Causes, Treatments, How Long it Lasts https://thebettermenopause.com/blogs/thebetter-gut-community/menopause-brain-fog

Low Iron Could Cause Brain Fog During Menopause Transition, OU … http://www.ou.edu/news/articles/2025/april/low-iron-brain-fog-menopause.html

Best Supplements for Menopause Brain Fog in 2025Hone Health https://honehealth.com/edge/best-supplements-for-menopause-brain-fog/

Does Brain Iron Accumulation Cause Brain Fog in Women at … https://mdpiblog.wordpress.sciforum.net/2025/05/16/iron-accumulation-perimenopause/  

Menopause Marketing: Tapping into a Billion-Dollar Opportunity https://winsomemarketing.com/womenshealth-marketing/menopause-marketing-tapping-into-a-billion-dollar-opportunity

Memory Loss and MenopauseWhat should I do? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e75N3eASUo

My Menopause Story: What Surprised Me Most About Perimenopause https://www.acog.org/womenshealth/experts-and-stories/the-latest/my-menopause-story-what-surprised-me-most-about-perimenopause

Menopausal Brain Fog Really Does Exist https://www.livescience.com/26313-menopause-and-memoryproblems.html

Menopause marketing: Hype vs. truthHarvard Health https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/menopause-marketing-hype-vs-truth

My perimenopause brain left me fearing I had Alzheimer’s https://www.onstella.com/the-latest/her-story/my-perimenopause-brain-left-me-fearing-i-had-alzheimers/

Do brands still treat the Menopause as a marketing moment? https://www.creativebrief.com/bite/thoughtleadership/do-brands-still-treat-menopause-marketing-moment

‘Perimenopause made me feel like I was losing my mind’ | My … https://www.mymenopausecentre.com/menopause-stories/janine-mcdonald/

Menopausal and Feeling Forgetful? Brain Fog Might Be to Blame https://www.healthywomen.org/yourhealth/menopause-aging-well/menopausal-and-feeling-forgetful-brain-fog-might-be-to-blame

What’s the story with brain fog and menopause? | The Seattle Times https://www.seattletimes.com/seattlenews/health/whats-the-story-with-brain-fog-and-menopause/

Enhancing memory self-efficacy during menopause through a group memory strategies programPubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27922935/

The Graceful Mind: How Women Can Rewire Their Brains in Midlife https://www.latimes.com/live-well/wellness/mind/story/brain-health-menopause-habits-neuroplasticity

Menopause, Memory & Mental Health | The ‘Pause Blog https://thepauselife.com/blogs/the-pause-blog/menopause-memory-mental-health?srsltid=AfmBOoqhxytMftCxIIBdgUF1n0AGsNvZwWDzcqCh5j8m7dW7n12_yPU

Researchers Zero In on Cognitive Difficulties Associated with … https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/researchers-zero-in-on-cognitive-difficulties-associated-with-menopause

A Holistic Framework for Menopause Management by Sarmistha Mitra https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5005927

Shining a light on the missing menopause marketSmartBrief https://www.smartbrief.com/original/shininga-light-on-the-missing-menopause-market

Maeve’s storyDementia UK https://www.dementiauk.org/information-and-support/stories/maeves-storyonset-of-dementia-menopause-close-together/

Menopause and cognitive impairment: A narrative review of current … https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8394691/

Brinton, R. D. (2023). Estrogen regulation of glucose metabolism and mitochondrial function: Therapeutic implications for prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 177, 113948. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2021.113948

Greendale, G. A., Derby, C. A., & Maki, P. M. (2022). Perimenopause and cognition. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America, 49(2), 237–254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ogc.2022.02.004   Maki, P. M., & Thurston, R. C. (2020). Menopause and brain health: Hormonal changes are only part of the story. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 59, 100856. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2020.100856