Women have sharper memory than men: Study

Proving the notion wrong, that man are more intelligent and have sharper memory, a recent study found that middle-aged women outperform age-matched men on all memory measures.

However, the research further suggested that the memory of women declines as she enter post-menopause. Women report increased forgetfulness and "brain fog" during the menopause transition.

In addition, women are disproportionately at risk for memory impairment and dementia compared with men. Despite these conditions working against them, middle-aged women still outscore their similarly aged male counterparts on all memory measures, according to the study.

The study also found that premenopausal and perimenopausal women outperformed postmenopausal women in a number of key memory areas. Declines in estradiol levels in postmenopausal women were specifically associated with lower rates of initial learning and retrieval of previously recalled information, while memory storage and consolidation were maintained.

"Brain fog and complaints of memory issues should be taken seriously," says the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) executive director. "This study and others have shown that these complaints are associated with memory deficits."

The study has been published online in Menopause, the journal of NAMS.