As menopause nears, some women blame their shifting hormones for memory problems. But it's not quite that simple, a new study shows.

The study included 24 women aged 40-60 who were approaching menopause. They took tests of memory, mood, mental skills, and estrogen blood levels.

The women's memories were largely fine, regardless of estrogen level or the women's sense that their memory used to be sharper. However, women showing signs of depression or anxiety scored lower on tests of mental skills, and blood tests showed lower estrogen levels in anxious women.

Miriam Webster, PhD, and Mark Mapstone, PhD, from the University of Rochester's Memory Disorders Clinic conducted the study. Their findings were presented in Boston at the International Neuropsychological Society's annual meeting.

About Menopause

Menopause is a natural process in which women's sex hormones diminish, signaling the end of women's childbearing years.

Menopause is not a disease. However, many women report physical, emotional, and memory-related symptoms related to menopause.

The women studied by Weber and Mapstone were from Rochester, N.Y. They hadn't finished menopause, but they reported at least one change in their menstrual cycle in the past year. Based on those changes and the women's age, participants were perimenopausal, or approaching menopause, the researchers note.

None of the women was taking hormone replacement therapy or had major neurological or psychological problems.