Menopause, Cognition, and Mood

Dr. Pauline M. Maki is Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology and Senior Research Director of the Center for Research on Women and Gender at the University of Illinois Chicago. Dr. Maki received her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and postdoctoral training at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the National Institute on Aging. Her research over the last 20 years has focused on menopause, sex steroids, cognition, and mood. Her research addresses important issues in women’s health such as:

• Do women experience a change in their cognitive abilities as they transition through the menopause?
• Can hormone therapy, botanical menopausal therapies and stellate ganglion blockade improve memory, mood, and brain function during the menopausal transition? If so, which women might benefit most and what formulations might work best?
• How does reproductive aging affect brain aging in women? Does reproductive aging have any influence on a woman’s risk for dementia?

Dr. Maki is Past President of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) and current Chair of the Society of Women’s Health Research Interdisciplinary Network on Alzheimer’s Disease. She won the 2017 Woman in Science Award from the American Medical Women’s Association and the Thomas B. Clarkson Outstanding Clinical and Basic Science Research Award from the the North Amercican Menopause Society. She has won a number of NIH awards for her research and service, serves as a research and career mentor to many students and junior faculty, serves on executive committees for several women’s health advisory boards, and is a frequent international and national speaker on menopause and women’s cognitive health.

Audience: Psychiatrists, Neurologists, and other affiliated professionals interested in mental health

Purpose: To provide current information on research, treatment, and policy issues relating to psychiatry and its adjunct fields

Instructional level: Advanced

Objectives:

1. To describe how mood and cognition changes as women transition through menopause.
2. To explain the association between hot flashes, cognition, and mood.
3. To demonstrate the influence of sex steroid hormones, particularly estrogen, on cognition and mood.

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) College of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) College of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 1credit AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Continuing Education Units (1) will be available for Social Workers and affiliated reciprocal agencies. Illinois Board License number 159-000112.

The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois Chicago is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois Chicago maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This event is 1 credit hour continuing education.

No member of the planning committee for this activity have reported a relevant relationship with a commercial interest. There is no conflict of interest and nothing to disclose.

Dr. Maki has disclosed that she has received an honorarium from Mylan Pharmaceuticals.