Brain estrogen in both sexes shapes memory's resilience to stress

Researchers in mice show that estrogen produced in the hippocampus alters memory after acute stress in a sex- and cycle-dependent way: high hippocampal estrogen in males and proestrus females worsened memory, while estrus females with lower estrogen were more resilient. The findings suggest estrogen receptors regulate chromatin and memory-related genes, with potential implications for PTSD risk and aging in humans—especially during perimenopause—though further study is needed.