Towards a Proteomic Profile of Menopause-Related Hot Flashes

Though half of the population will experience menopause, knowledge of its impact on brain health is limited. The relationship between the brain and trademark symptoms of menopause (e.g. hot flashes) warrants further investigation. In particular, brain alterations and vasomotor symptoms may be related to ovarian hormone-mediated changes in the circulating proteome, as proteins are involved in neuroinflammation and vascularization. For that reason, this project investigates the circulating proteome to probe the neurobiological basis of menopause-related hot flashes in a cohort of pre/peri/postmenopausal women. Neuroinflammatory and neurovascular biomarkers, hormone levels and vasomotor symptoms were assessed across menopausal stages. Findings from this study will contribute to an understanding of how the changing hormonal milieu relates to thermoregulatory pathways, serving as a launching point for characterizing the neurobiology of menopause.