This timely volume reviews current data on the effects of estrogen on the central nervous system, highlighting clinical aspects of this topic. Experts from the fields of psychiatry, pharmacology, neurology, and geriatrics collaborate to clarify the known risks and benefits of hormone therapy and explore questions that remain to be elucidated.

Among the topics discussed:
" Preclinical data on estrogen's effects on cognitive performance
" The short-lived effects of hormone replacement therapy on cognitive function
" Structural and functional brain imaging data regarding
estrogen's effects on the central nervous system
" Preclinical efforts to develop effective NeuroSERMs for the brain
" The effects of estrogen on mood

Citing the ongoing confusion over the risks and benefits of estrogen therapy, the contributors emphasize the need for additional research on medication, doses, preparations, methods of administration, alternative therapies, and supplements.

This volume educates researchers, clinicians, and students on the current knowledge—including the effects of estrogen on mood, cognition, and brain metabolism—and provides guidelines for clinical practice and future research.

Contributors: Roberta Diaz Brinton, Ph.D., University of Southern California; Cheri L. Geist, B.A., David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles; Robert B. Gibbs, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy; Eva Hogervorst, Ph.D., University of Loughborough and University of Oxford; Pauline M. Maki, Ph.D., Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of Illinois–Chicago; Peter J. Schmidt, M.D., National Institute of Mental Health; Daniel H. S. Silverman, M.D., Ph.D., David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles; Katherine E. Williams, M.D., Stanford University School of Medicine; Kristine Yaffe, M.D., University of California, San Francisco, and San Francisco VA Medical Center; Laurel N. Zappert, B.A., Stanford University School of Medicine; Liqin Zhao, Ph.D., University of Southern California

Natalie L. Rasgon, M.D., Ph.D., is an associate professor in the departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, where she is director for the Behavioral Neuroendocrinology and the Women's Wellness Programs.