midlife

While experiences of trauma are well known to impact mental health, emerging research also links them to women's physical health. Dr. Rebecca Thurston's SWAN study has revealed that both childhood and adult trauma exposure are associated with poorer cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health in women, pointing to the importance of trauma to the occurrence of menopausal symptoms, to cardiovascular health, and to women's brain health at midlife and beyond.
 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38280354/

Dr. Rebecca Thurston's research found that greater carotid intima media thickness (IMT) is associated with greater brain white matter hyperintensities (WMH) among older individuals, yet few studies consider these associations at midlife. Even fewer studies focus on women. The neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias accumulate at midlife. For women, midlife includes the menopause transition.

Read about Dr. Thurston's findings here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36722746/

Faculty member Dr. Rebecca Thurston recently published on sexual assault and brain health in midlife women, referencing white matter hyperintensities and how they can serve as early markers for brain disorders, such as dementia and stroke.