Cognitive health in menopause: A randomized trial investigating the impact of MHT, fezolinetant, black cohosh and digital CBT on cognitive function and biological aging in postmenopausal women with vasomotor symptoms (MenoBrain)
Description: The MenoBrain study is a multicenter, randomized clinical trial investigating how different therapeutic approaches impact cognitive difficulties—commonly referred to as “brain fog”—in postmenopausal women experiencing vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes. Recognizing that cognitive complaints during menopause are both common and impactful, particularly in working women, this study seeks to evaluate not only hormonal but also non-hormonal and behavioral interventions.Participants will receive one of four active treatments: menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), fezolinetant (a non-hormonal neurokinin-3 receptor antagonist), black cohosh (a widely used herbal remedy), or digital cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The goal is to better understand the comparative benefits of these approaches in real-world settings where women often seek personalized, evidence-based care beyond conventional hormone therapy.In addition to symptom assessment through validated patient-reported outcomes, the study incorporates advanced measures of biological and neurological aging. These include telomere length analysis, biological age estimation, wearable sensor data, and functional brain imaging, offering insights into how these treatments may influence underlying aging processes and brain function.The trial is led by an interdisciplinary team of clinicians and researchers across Swiss institutions and includes a strong patient and public involvement (PPI) component to ensure that the study reflects the priorities and experiences of affected women. The project is supported by a requested budget of CHF 2 million and is scheduled to run over a period of five years.
Amount: CHF 4,920
Funding type: research
Funder scheme: IICT - PPI Preparatory Grant
Start date: 2025-07-01
End date: 2025-10-31
Investigator: Stute, Petra
Institution: University of Berne – BE
Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Funded outputs count: 0
Funder award ID: 238555
OpenAlex ID: G98534590