Menopause Worst Symptoms - Origin is Brain Study challenges old notion that menopause starts in the ovaries Since long it has been believed that symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats are originated in ovaries. This assumption has been challenged by new researchers. They suggests that menopause symptoms begin in brain. Researchers at New Jersey Medical School reports in their journal of the American Medical Association that menopause symptoms are originated in brain, and this is because in some women hypothalamus and the pituitary gland stop reacting normally to estrogen. Laura Goldsmith, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and women's health at the New Jersey Medical School of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey also conveys the same new concept. These new concepts lead to the further research. This further research helps the doctors in predicting the type of menopausal transition a woman might have and also helpful in the generation of non-estrigen medicines that helps in reducing the symptoms that women usually face. Menopause is defined as that period of time when menstruation stops. A woman is said to be menopausal when she has not had a period for 12 consecutive months. Perimenopause is defined as often rife with symptoms due to hormonal fluctuations. Common symptoms like hot flashes, vaginal dryness, irregular periods, mood swings and trouble sleeping are seen at the time of perimenopause. All this information is achieved from the research done at SWAN- Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, which was funded by National institues of Health. This SWAN study includes females of around 42-52 age. The total number of women is between 3,300. Groups of 840 women is used tp provide a urine sample for harmonal level test. This test is done on daily basis for one full mensurational cycle. The conclusion derived sates that 160 women did not ovulate. Further analysis of non-ovulating women states that women is classified into 3 different groups. First Group: In this group there is an increase in estrogen level. There is an appropriate surge of LH- luteinizing hormone, which would have trigger ovulation but actually didnt. Weiss discovered that lack of response leads to certain problems originating in the ovary. Second Group: In this, estrogen levels are the top. But correlating surge in LH is not there. And according to Weiss this should be triggered by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland responding to higher estrogen levels. Third Group: Unlike first and second group, third group shows similar estrogen levels. LH levels in this group didn't surge, but seems to be higher for most of the cycle than they were in the other groups. Weiss clearly prooved that the brain is not responding to hormones. He also suggests that the second and third groups showed different kinds of decreased sensitivity to estrogen in the brain. It is stated that women in 3rd group are more prone to have symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. Researchers expect to continue this study on women. Goldsmith said that researchers would like to know how menopause timmings relate with their findings. This can be illustrated by just taking an example: the researchers would like to see if the women in the third group were, perhaps, further along in the menopausal process. Dr. Steven Goldstein, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at New York University School of Medicine says that ovarian is not the only thing which is going to appear in the process of menopause. He also reveals that pituitary responds to lower levels of estrogen, but in hypothalamus and pituitary there is a lack of sensitivity to estrogen. Goldsmith said that for a women its very to know that during menopause real biochemical changes tends to occur. Researchers are now starting to know about the changes, how they are going to start and what are the treatments to cope up with it. SOURCES: Gerson Weiss, M.D., professor and chairman, obstetrics and gynecology and women's health; Laura Goldsmith, Ph.D., professor, obstetrics and gynecology, New Jersey Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark; Steven Goldstein, M.D., professor , obstetrics and gynecology, and obstetrician/gynecologist, New York University School of Medicine and Medical Center, New York City; Dec. 22/29, 2004, Journal of the American Medical Association