XXplored - The Midlife Transition: Menopause and the Brain
Dementia Researcher Vodcast
11/20/25
•43m
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In this episode of the Dementia Researcher - Xxplored Women’s Brain Health podcast, host Dr Laura Stankeviciute speaks with Professor Claudia Barth from Charite University and Dr Gillian Coughlan from Harvard Medical School to examine the midlife transition, menopause and its significance for women’s brain health.
Together they outline what the menopause truly involves across the early, late, and post stages, and explain how hormonal change affects brain structure, energy use, mood, and cognition. They also explore why this period may coincide with greater vulnerability to later Alzheimer’s disease and discuss the role of early or surgical menopause, symptom severity, and gaps in existing research cohorts.
The episode highlights the need for richer reproductive data, real time biomarker studies, and closer collaboration with digital health tools to better capture women’s lived experiences. It reflects a growing wave of research and public interest aimed at improving understanding, support, and evidence based care during this important life stage.
Takeaways
- Menopause is a long transition shaped by fluctuating hormones.
- Cognitive and mood symptoms reflect changes in brain networks.
- Earlier menopause is linked with increased later Alzheimer’s risk.
- Major research cohorts lack detailed reproductive data.
- New real time studies are beginning to track symptoms and biomarkers.
- Digital tools will be key for future research.
- Better global representation is needed across studies.
- Momentum is building to close long standing gaps in women’s health.
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A transcript of this show, links and show notes and profile on all our guests are available on our website at https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk.
If you prefer to watch rather than listen, you will find a video version of this podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and on our website.
Leave us a tip:
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We gratefully acknowledge the support of our funders: Alzheimer’s Association, Race Against Dementia, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
The views and opinions expressed by guests in this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the producers, funders, or sponsors.
Subscribe to our sister show 'Dementia Researcher The Blogs':
Previous Episode
Exploring Psychotherapy for People with Dementia
November 7, 2025
•43m
In this episode, host Dr Anna Volkmer is joined by Dr Alys Griffiths, Sophie Jeffery, and Esther Whittlesea Reed to explore a two-year Alzheimer’s Society project testing #psychotherapy for people with dementia.
Together, they discuss the importance of therapy in #dementia care, the barriers to access, the development of new therapist competencies, and the lived experience of psychotherapy from both clinical and personal perspectives.
Takeaways
- Psychotherapy can provide meaningful outcomes for people with dementia.
- Barriers to accessing therapy include stigma and lack of understanding.
- Core competencies for therapists are essential for effective care.
- Family therapy is crucial for supporting families affected by dementia.
- Training for therapists should include specific skills for working with dementia patients.
- Research findings highlight the need for better communication about therapy options.
- The importance of lived experience in shaping research and therapy.
- Future research should focus on improving access to therapy for families.
- There is a need for a cultural shift in how dementia is perceived in therapy.
Essential links / resources mentioned in the show:Core competences frameworkUK Council for PsychotherapyBritish Association for Counselling and PsychotherapyRecent papers on the topic
Sponsored by Famileo. Helping families living with dementia stay close with a personalised printed magazine, delivered monthly. Over a quarter of a million families already use Famileo to stay connected. First month free with code DR26. Visit the Famileo Website
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A transcript of this show, links and show notes and profile on all our guests are available on our website at https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk.
If you prefer to watch rather than listen, you will find a video version of this podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and on our website.
Leave us a tip:
https://dementia-researcher.captivate.fm/support
Follow us on social media:
- https://www.instagram.com/dementia_researcher/
- https://www.facebook.com/Dementia.Researcher/
- https://www.twitter.com/demrescommunity
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/dementia-researcher
- https://bsky.app/profile/dementiaresearcher.bsky.social
Download and Register with our Community App:
https://www.onelink.to/dementiaresearcher
We gratefully acknowledge the support of our funders: Alzheimer’s Associati...
Next Episode
Beyond the Pill: Methodology in Dementia Clinical Trials
December 5, 2025
•46m
In this episode of the Dementia Researcher podcast we look at how dementia clinical trials reach far beyond medicines. Host Dr Annalise Rahman Filipiak speaks with Dr Elizabeth Rhodus, Dr Inga Antonsdottir, and Dr Elisa França Resende about entering the field, working with behavioural and community based interventions, and learning the skills needed to deliver rigorous, reproducible studies that still respect the individual needs of participants.
The guests discuss their routes into trials, what surprised them, what they wish they had known earlier, and how mentorship and collaboration shaped their progress. They touch on trial design, regulatory processes, cultural considerations, and the value of early career networks that support researchers across different countries.
Topics covered
- What early career researchers find challenging about trial methods
- Working in homes and communities
- Designing sensory and environmental interventions
- Literacy based trials in Brazil and issues of inclusion
- Mentorship, networks and training programmes
- Trial rigour, manuals, assessments and reproducibility
- Regulatory hurdles and timeframes
- Practical advice for researchers wanting to deliver a trial as part of their research
--
A transcript of this show, links and show notes and profile on all our guests are available on our website at https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk.
If you prefer to watch rather than listen, you will find a video version of this podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and on our website.
Leave us a tip:
https://dementia-researcher.captivate.fm/support
Follow us on social media:
- https://www.instagram.com/dementia_researcher/
- https://www.facebook.com/Dementia.Researcher/
- https://www.twitter.com/demrescommunity
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/dementia-researcher
- https://bsky.app/profile/dementiaresearcher.bsky.social
Download and Register with our Community App:
https://www.onelink.to/dementiaresearcher
We gratefully acknowledge the support of our funders: Alzheimer’s Association, Race Against Dementia, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
The views and opinions expressed by guests in this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the producers, funders, or sponsors.
Subscribe to our sister show 'Dementia Researcher The Blogs':
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