Memory lapses and trouble concentrating are known symptoms of menopause and even perimenopause (the lead-up to menopause). They’re also common in pregnancy. The cause? Good old hormones — specifically, estrogen, the female sex hormone, which is necessary for maintaining sexual and reproductive health. Your estrogen levels fluctuate during menstrual cycles and pregnancy, and they begin to decline in perimenopause. Dipping levels of estrogen can affect your brain function and cause momentary lapses in recollection. Low estrogen can cause bouts of temporary brain fog that can leave you feeling a little worried about your mental fitness. It tends to affect verbal memory, like your ability to remember words and names. But this type of menopause-related forgetfulness isn’t the same as early signs of dementia. The first signs of dementia are typically things like getting lost in familiar places or confusion about how to perform everyday activities, like driving home from the store — not the inability to remember names. Age is another key factor. Alzheimer’s disease mainly affects people over age 65. Less than 10% of cases occur in people younger than 65, especially those without a family history of early-onset Alzheimer’s. Menopause, on the other hand, typically happens in your mid-40s to mid-50s, and perimenopause can start years earlier. Menopause-related brain fog also tends to stay stable or improve, while dementia tends to progress