Differences in functional connectivity during midlife between menopause stages

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to assess the relationship between menopause stage and resting-state functional connectivity during midlife. METHODS: Data from the Human Connectome Project-Aging 2.0 release were utilized in this study. Imaging and demographic data of 151 female participants between 40 and 55 years of age were included. To investigate functional connectivity, we utilized Conn Toolbox to assess the strength of functional associations between brain regions at rest at both connection and cluster levels. RESULTS: Differences in resting-state functional connectivity between the supramarginal gyrus, right anterior division, and right planum temporale at the connection level were identified between participants in the pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal groups when all groups were compared. Further analysis comparing the pre- and postmenopausal groups revealed one cluster of altered resting-state connectivity that was lower in the postmenopausal group compared to the premenopausal group. Regions with altered connectivity included the left and right supramarginal gyrus, the anterior division, and the right and left planum temporale. CONCLUSIONS: Resting-state functional connectivity differed between menopause stages, highlighting the relationship between menopause and brain functioning during midlife in females. Differences in functional connectivity between pre- and postmenopausal participants suggest that the menopause transition may be relevant to brain functioning during the female aging process.