How menopause can change a woman’s brain

For decades, some doctors have told women that the brain fog, insomnia and mood swings they experience in midlife are “all in their heads.” Now, emerging brain research shows they’re right — but not because women are imagining it.

Brain imaging studies of women — conducted before, during and after menopause — reveal dramatic physical changes in structure, connectivity and energy metabolism. These changes are not only visible on the scans, but many women can also feel them, said Lisa Mosconi, a neuroscientist and author of the book “The Menopause Brain.”