Clinical Manifestations.

Background: Sex hormones are frequently implicated in the development of cerebral small vessel disease among midlife women. However, few studies directly measure endogenous sex hormones and consider them in relation to white matter hyperintensities (WMH), indicators of cerebral small vessel disease. Further, existing work on hormones, menopause, and the brain typically focuses on ovarian estradiol (E2), with limited consideration of estrone (E1), the primary postmenopausal estrogen, or follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), an indicator of ovarian age.

Qualitative Findings from a Pilot Trial of Mindfulness for Low Sexual Desire in Midlife and Older Women.

Low libido is a common and potentially distressing problem among midlife and older women. We recently reported results from a pilot randomized controlled trial of a mindfulness intervention for midlife and older cisgender women with low libido; the purpose of this qualitative investigation is to illustrate women's experiences with being recruited for, enrolling in, and participating in the trial. We conducted individual interviews with a subset of trial participants, some of whom attended a group-based mindfulness intervention and some attended an educational control group (N = 25).