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First modification: 02/11/2026 - 16:18

In this episode of Ellas Hoy we address research in the United Kingdom that evaluated the impacts of menopause and hormone replacement therapy on women's brains. During this vital stage the same critical areas of gray matter are affected as in Alzheimer's. We also review the new conviction in Iran of the Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi and we tell you about the first conviction of Uber, which must be held responsible for the rape of a passenger.

A study published in 'Psychological Medicine' in 2026, conducted in the United Kingdom, investigated the impact that menopause and hormone replacement therapy have on women's cognitive function, mental health and brain shrinkage.

At this stage of life, a decrease in gray matter is seen in important areas of the brain, which also coincide with those affected by Alzheimer's, a disease that affects two-thirds of women, more than men.

For this research, data from almost 125,000 women, available in the UK Biobank, where anonymous biological samples are stored for long-term research, were reviewed and the findings show that menopause, which is still a taboo topic on conversation tables, comes with increased levels of anxiety, depression and insomnia.

Symptoms were amplified when patients used hormone replacement therapy as an adjunct. A hormone that is usually applied to treat or delay symptoms from perimenopause, including so-called hot flashes, vaginal discomfort, extreme sweating or difficulties falling asleep.

Thus, those citizens who used ingested or applied hormones reported greater mental health challenges with pre-existing symptoms and although authorities such as the American Neurological Association have said in the past that this hormone could protect women against Alzheimer's, this latest study considered that hormones do not represent a conclusive advantage against the disease.

With or without medication, the samples showed smaller gray matter volumes in the medial temporal lobe and anterior cingulate cortex in postmenopausal women.

In conversation with France 24, one of the co-authors of the study, Dr. Katharina Zühlsdorff, Physician, neuroscientist and researcher in cognitive computational neuroscience, explained that "there is no difference between women who have this therapy and women who do not have it and we also did not see differences in brain volume; however, we saw an effect on (neural) reaction time, so this therapy showed that it is possible to improve (neuronal) reaction time to pre-menopausal levels."

The study concludes that menopause is linked to adverse mental health outcomes and reductions in gray matter volume in key regions of the brain.

These decreases can also be seen in the disease of Alzheimer's, which disproportionately attacks the female population.

Dr. Zühlsdorff clarified that taking into account that most "studies (of the condition) have been carried out with male patients," understanding the relationship between menopause and Alzheimer's may not give the complete perspective, but "moving to research dedicated to understanding the brain of women can be very useful in the future to better understand the disease":

Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi receives new sentence

The Iranian activist, known for her defense of women's rights in the Islamic republic, and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023, received a new sentence arbitrarily, as described by her lawyer.

Nobel Committee rejects Mohammadi's arrest

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Mohammadi has been imprisoned several times throughout three decades of fighting for Human Rights and this time the sentence is seven and a half years.

The news was confirmed by herself to her lawyer, Mostafa Nili, on Sunday, February 8, after weeks of isolation that included several days of a hunger strike that finally ended due to a rapid deterioration in her health.

The woman was arrested on December 12 after reporting the suspicious death of lawyer Khosrow Alikordi.

Prosecutor Hasan Hematifar accused her of making provocative comments during a memorial ceremony for Alikordi in the northeastern city of Mashhad and of inciting those present to chant transgressive slogans and disturb public order.

According to the Narges Foundation, the activist was sentenced to six years in prison for "assembly and conspiracy to commit crimes" and an additional year and a half for propaganda activities.

Narges Mohammadi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 while already in prison for her campaign for women's rights and the abolition of the death penalty in Iran.

Uber will have to pay $8.5 million to a sexual assault victim

A US jury in Phoenix, Arizona, found the company Uber liable in a lawsuit filed by a woman who reported a sexual assault by a driver when she was 19 years old and under the influence of alcohol. In addition, he ordered the payment of 8.5 million dollars to the victim.

Jaylynn Dean's case was the first trial of more than 3,000 similar lawsuits that have been consolidated in U.S. federal court.

Your process in which your claim for compensatory damages was accepted will be the benchmark for testing legal theories and will thereafter help evaluate the value of other claims for possible settlements.

Thus, the compensatory verdict sets an important precedent, as it could influence thousands of similar cases that are currently being litigated against the transportation company.

Sarah London, Dean's attorney, said the verdict "validates the thousands of victims who, at great personal risk, have come forward to hold Uber accountable for prioritizing profits over passenger safety."

For its part, in a statement, an Uber spokeswoman stated that the company would appeal and noted that the jury rejected other allegations by Dean, such as the company's negligence or the deficiency of its security systems.

"This verdict confirms that Uber acted responsibly and has invested significantly in passenger safety," he declared.

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