Women's Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging

Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy on Cognitive Aging: Women's Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging (WHISCA)

The Women's Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging (WHISCA) is a two-armed, randomized, placebo controlled, clinical trial designed to assess the efficacy of postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) on age related changes in specific cognitive functions.

WHISCA is an ancillary study to the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) and the WHI Memory Study (WHIMS) and has enrolled 2303 women aged 66 to 84 years who did not meet the criteria for dementia. WHISCA is investigating the effects of hormone therapy on rates of change over time in memory, other aspects of cognition (language, attention, spatial ability), motor function, and mood.

Objectives

• Does HT protect against age-associated memory and cognitive longitudinal decline in women age 65 and older?
• What is the rate of change in memory and other cognitive abilities in women receiving HT compared to women receiving placebo?
• Does the addition of progesterone to HT modify the effects of estrogen on memory and other cognitive abilities?

Inclusion Criteria:

• Enrolled in WHIMS
• At least 65 years old
• Not diagnosed with dementia

Exclusion Criteria:

• Women younger than 65 years of age
• Have dementia
• not enrolled in WHIMS