Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42082089›Full record

Trial reportNeuroImage2026

Lifespan exposure to hormone therapies and structural brain morphometry in older women.

Robyn A Honea, Amber Watts, Shannon D Donofry, Cristina Molina-Hidalgo, Hayley S Ripperger, Sarah L Aghjayan, Chaeryon Kang, Swathi Gujral, Lauren E Oberlin, George Grove and 10 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialMulticenter Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in NeuroImage, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Robyn A HoneaUniversity of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Fairway, KS, USA; Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA. Electronic address: rhonea@kumc.edu.
Amber WattsUniversity of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Fairway, KS, USA; Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA.
Shannon D DonofryBehavioral and Policy Sciences, RAND, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Cristina Molina-HidalgoNeuroscience, AdventHealth Research Institute, Orlando, FL, USA.
Hayley S RippergerPsychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Sarah L AghjayanPsychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Chaeryon KangPsychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Swathi GujralPsychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Lauren E OberlinNeuroscience, AdventHealth Research Institute, Orlando, FL, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, NY USA.
George GrovePsychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Haiqing HuangNeuroscience, AdventHealth Research Institute, Orlando, FL, USA.
Bradley P SuttonThe Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
Jeffrey M BurnsUniversity of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Fairway, KS, USA; Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
Eric D VidoniUniversity of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Fairway, KS, USA; Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
Arthur F KramerThe Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, Psychology; Physical Therapy, Movement, & Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
Edward McAuleyThe Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Health and Kinesiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
Charles H HillmanCenter for Cognitive and Brain Health, Psychology; Physical Therapy, Movement, & Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
Anna L MarslandPsychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
M Ilyas KambohHuman Genetics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Kirk I EricksonPsychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Neuroscience, AdventHealth Research Institute, Orlando, FL, USA.

Funding

University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science InstituteUL1TR001857 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI REIS, STEVEN E · 2016 to 2025
$129.3M
Investigating Gains in Neurocognition in an Intervention Trial of Exercise SupplementR01AG053952 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI BURNS, JEFFREY MURRAY, ERICKSON, KIRK I · 2016 to 2020
$27.5M
University of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (KU ADRC)P30AG072973 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER · PI Eric Dennis Vidoni · 2021 to 2026
$25.3M
Women's Alzheimer's Risk Reduction in MidlifeP20GM152280 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE · PI HEATHER R DESAIRE · 2024 to 2026
$10.0M
AGING AND DEVELOPMENTT32AG000030 · NIA · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI DENISE HEAD, Jeffrey M Zacks · 1985 to 2026
$9.7M
Physical Activity and Dementia: Mechanisms of ActionR35AG072307 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI ERICKSON, KIRK I · 2021 to 2025
$3.6M
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR001857NIA NIH HHS P30 AG072973NIA NIH HHS R01 AG053952NIA NIH HHS R35 AG072307NIA NIH HHS T32 AG000030NIGMS NIH HHS P20 GM152280
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough many studies support a neuroprotective role for estrogens and other ovarian hormones in women, findings across imaging studies remain mixed. Few studies have explored both early- and midlife- hormone exposures simultaneously or incorporated whole-brain, voxel-wise approaches. This study examined the effects of early- and midlife exposure to ovarian hormones- via hormonal birth control (BC), menopausal hormone therapy (MHT)- and their timing on brain health in older women. We also studied the relationship of age of menopause (i.e., greater endogenous exposure to ovarian hormones) to brain health in older adulthood.

methodsWe analyzed baseline data from 459 women (ages 65-80) in the multi-site IGNITE study, a 12-month randomized aerobic exercise study. We examined retrospective self-report of BC and MHT use in relation to structural MRI metrics using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) for gray matter volume and surface-based morphometry (SBM) for cortical thickness.

findingsBC use compared to no BC use was associated with greater gray matter volume in temporal, occipital, and frontal regions in older adulthood. Longer BC duration was linked to larger fusiform gyrus volume. Combined BC and MHT use compared to no use was associated with greater volume in parietal and temporal areas and thicker cortex in the posterior cingulate and temporal gyri. Later menopause onset correlated with greater posterior cortical thickness. No associations were found for MHT timing or BC start age. INTERPRETATIONS: Both endogenous and exogenous lifetime exposure to ovarian hormones were associated with structural brain measures generally consistent with preserved brain aging. These findings highlight the importance of exposure timing in women's brain health and AD risk prevention.

Indexed as

AgingBrainCerebral CortexEstrogen Replacement TherapyGray MatterMenopauseAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingRetrospective StudiesAgingBrain agingBrain thicknessBrain volumeEstrogenHormone therapyMenopauseNeuroimagingProtectionWomen

Identifiers

PMID42082089
PMCPMC13644745

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.