
Menopause Mythbusting | Why Midlife Changes Your Brain and What Helps | Lisa Mosconi, PhD
About this episode
Your brain isn’t breaking. It’s rewiring in ways no one explained, and for many women, menopause is the moment everything suddenly feels unfamiliar.
Brain fog, sleep disruption, anxiety, memory lapses, and feeling unlike yourself can be deeply unsettling, especially when no one has given you a framework for what’s happening. In this conversation, we explore the science behind midlife brain changes and why menopause is a neurological transition, not a personal failure.
Dr. Lisa Mosconi is an associate professor of Neuroscience in Neurology and Radiology at Weill Cornell Medicine and director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Program and the Women’s Brain Initiative. She is a world-renowned neuroscientist and the New York Times bestselling author of The Menopause Brain.
In this episode, you’ll discover
• Why Alzheimer’s risk begins in midlife, not old age
• What estrogen actually does in the brain and why its shift matters
• The hidden reason brain fog and mood changes show up during menopause
• How the brain adapts and rebuilds after hormonal change
• What science currently says about hormone therapy and brain health
Menopause can feel confusing and isolating, but understanding what your brain is doing can replace fear with clarity. Listen to learn how to navigate this transition with more confidence, compassion, and agency.
You can find Lisa at: Website | Instagram | Episode Transcript
Next week, we're sharing a really meaningful conversation with psychiatrist and mental health educator Dr. Tracey Marks about what anxiety really is, why it feels so physical, and how understanding your brain can help you feel steadier and more at ease.
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