After menopause surgery, examining women for adverse childhood experiences and affective traits such as depression and anxiety may reduce cognitive distress, according to a new study published in Menopause.
The team of researchers at the Anschutz Medical Campus of the University of Colorado collected cognitive data from 552 women known to be carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations.
Participants were evaluated for executive cognitive function, early childhood adversities, and depressive symptoms.
The prevalence of adverse childhood experiences was more pronounced among participants with the most severe symptoms of executive cognitive dysfunction, as measured by poor cognitive performance.
The most severe symptoms of executive cognitive dysfunction, as measured by poor cognitive performance, were associated with adverse childhood experiences among participants who exhibited these symptoms.
By assessing childhood adversities and affective traits, the results, according to the researchers, could identify women at risk for executive cognitive problems after surgical menopause.
With these findings, researchers hypothesized that it would be beneficial to pay more attention to potential psychological distress during other types of medical procedures as well.
The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation and the Basser Research Center at the Abramson Cancer Center funded the study, which was conducted at one of the top universities in Colorado.
