Neuroimaging Sheds Light on Brain Changes"We know that having both ovaries removed before natural menopause causes abrupt endocrine dysfunction, which increases the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia," Michelle Mielke, lead author of the study and a professor and chair of epidemiology and prevention at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, said in a statement. "But few neuroimaging studies have been conducted to better understand the underlying mechanisms." The research team analyzed data from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, a long-term research initiative that began in 2004. They identified just more than 1,000 women who had undergone diffusion tensor imaging, an MRI technique that assesses brain white matter integrity. Of them, 907 had not undergone premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy (PBO). The study participants were grouped as follows:22 women who underwent premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy (PBO) before age 40