Brain Fog, Memory Loss, and Alzheimer’s Risk During Menopause with Dr. Lisa Mosconi

In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver continues her conversation with Dr. Lisa Mosconi, neuroscientist and associate professor of neuroscience in neurology and radiology at Weill Cornell Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Mosconi directs the Alzheimer's Prevention Program, including the NIH-funded Women's Brain Initiative and the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic, and was recently named director of the $50 million Program in Women's Health, Cutting Alzheimer's Risk Through Endocrinology. She is also the author of the bestselling book The Menopause Brain. Dr. Mosconi and Dr. Haver go deeper into why brain fog, memory lapses, and cognitive changes in midlife are not just frustrating. They are biologically significant, and for some women, they may signal an inflection point for Alzheimer's risk. The conversation covers the statistics women are rarely given starting at age 45, a woman has twice the risk of Alzheimer's as a man of the same age. Women are also twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression, three times more likely to develop an autoimmune disorder affecting the brain, four times more likely to suffer from migraines, and more likely to be killed by a stroke after menopause. Guest links: * Lisa Mosconi https://www.lisamosconi.com/ * Lisa Mosconi (Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/dr_mosconi/ * Lisa Mosconi (Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/lisamosconiphd/ * Lisa Mosconi Bio (LEAP) https://wellcomeleap.org/lisa-mosconi-bio/ Books: * “The Menopause Brain: New Science Empowers Women to Navigate the Pivotal Transition with Knowledge and Confidence,” by Lisa Mosconi https://www.amazon.com/Menopause-Brain-Transition-Knowledge-Confidence/dp/0593541243 * “The XX Brain: The Groundbreaking Science Empowering Women to Maximize Cognitive Health and Prevent Alzheimer's Disease,” by Lisa Mosconi https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Groundbreaking-Empowering-Cognitive-Alzheimers/dp/0593083113/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=AUTHOR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.xATDzwdasYSPmgiM-QUxSk1OuLss6xj1tlff-8-ja3e9HQtWrqwUegJ1PwgD9vCDe3uJ9CKC19h4ns0GJOh-jDC2X1TPqkd-w6tHJP6D84ad5TOzUFeXMQNkfTOyBSZEaTJ86el25Xq-hb1XwWx-FRXljYw47SzXkL83sjQin-y69zz3OR4yoGTc7EAt25p1LFelxhyKPvX0asHo_ej6Mals4EmjVUTf-lk4jJHVUgI.IxukrUD8UkV8yXlW0c8Vcf3KEtpBaEQBvVx11YpoppQ * “Brain Food: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power,” by Lisa Mosconi https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Food-Surprising-Science-Cognitive/dp/0399573992/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=AUTHOR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.xATDzwdasYSPmgiM-QUxSk1OuLss6xj1tlff-8-ja3e9HQtWrqwUegJ1PwgD9vCDe3uJ9CKC19h4ns0GJOh-jDC2X1TPqkd-w6tHJP6D84ad5TOzUFeXMQNkfTOyBSZEaTJ86el25Xq-hb1XwWx-FRXljYw47SzXkL83sjQin-y69zz3OR4yoGTc7EAt25p1LFelxhyKPvX0asHo_ej6Mals4EmjVUTf-lk4jJHVUgI.IxukrUD8UkV8yXlW0c8Vcf3KEtpBaEQBvVx11YpoppQ For full show notes, please visit: https://bit.ly/unPAUSEDDDrLisaMosconiPt2 00:00 – Why Women Make Up 2/3 of Alzheimer’s Cases 01:00 – Menopause and the Brain: What Science Now Confirms 02:00 – Alzheimer’s Starts Decades Before Symptoms Appear 04:30 – The Biology of Alzheimer’s: Plaques, Tangles & Brain Damage 07:00 – Why Some People Never Develop Dementia (Even with Risk) 09:30 – The Missing Link: Menopause and Alzheimer’s Risk 13:00 – Alzheimer’s Is a Midlife Disease, Not an Old Age Disease 17:00 – Brain Scans Reveal Changes Across Menopause Stages 21:00 – Why the Brain Loses Energy (and What That Means) 25:00 – Does the Brain “Eat Itself”? The Real Explanation 32:00 – Menopause as an Inflection Point for Brain & Mental Health 56:00 – The Future: Preventing Alzheimer’s in Women by 2050 Never miss an episode—sign up for The ’Pause Life Newsletter: https://thepauselife.com/pages/newsletter Medical Disclaimer: The information, including opinions and recommendations, on this platform is meant for informational and educational purposes only. Mary Claire Media, LLC, the unPAUSED podcast, and The ’Pause Life are not medical organizations. Medical advice or medical diagnosis cannot be provided to you through the platform, any associated website, or customer portals. Using this platform does not establish a patient-physician relationship.