{"podcast":{"title":"Nina’s Notes Podcast","slug":"nina-s-notes-podcast-6700445","podcast_index_feed_id":6700445,"rss_url":"https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/1085983.rss","website_url":"https://www.ninasnotes.xyz/podcast","image_url":"https://substackcdn.com/feed/podcast/1085983/e72689bc3269a0e3599b01e348bc7ac6.jpg","author":"Nina Patrick","episode_count":117,"summary":"A weekly, digestible, non-technical read on health & science.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nina-s-notes-podcast-6700445"},"episode":{"title":"#182: 🎙️ What Menopause REALLY Does to the Female Brain with Nahid Zokaei","slug":"182-what-menopause-really-does-to-the-female-brain-with-nahid-zokaei","published_at":"2026-05-20T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nina-s-notes-podcast-6700445/182-what-menopause-really-does-to-the-female-brain-with-nahid-zokaei","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nina-s-notes-podcast-6700445","url":"https://www.ninasnotes.xyz/p/182-what-menopause-really-does-to","audio_url":"https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/198396970/54da83021d16c3e51676983366bbd972.mp3","summary":"This week on the Nina’s Notes Podcast, I sit down with Nahid Zoukaei, an Oxford researcher, cognitive neuroscientist, and founder of Cerebella, to explore why menopause may be one of the most overlooked neurological transitions in a woman’s life. We talk about the connection between menopause, brain fog, memory loss, and Alzheimer’s risk, why women are often dismissed when reporting cognitive symptoms, and how hormonal changes can directly affect the brain during midlife. Dr. Zoukaei also shares the science behind estrogen and brain health, the future of non-drug cognitive therapies, and what women can do today to better protect their long-term cognitive health. KEY TOPICS: * How hormonal changes during midlife affect memory, focus, mood, and cognition. * Why menopause-related brain fog is a real neurological symptom, not “just stress.” * Exploring why women make up the majority of Alzheimer’s patients. * How estrogen supports memory, cognition, and overall brain function. * Why women’s midlife health has been historically overlooked in science and healthcare. * How non-drug cognitive interventions may help support women’s brain health. * The importance of sleep, exercise, hearing health, and staying mentally active during midlife. TIMESTAMPS: * 00:00 – Why 60% of Alzheimer’s Patients Are Women * 00:39 – Leaving Academia to Build a Women’s Brain Health Startup * 05:13 – The Menopause–Alzheimer’s Link Explained * 06:27 – Understanding Menopause and Brain Health * 13:55 – Brain Fog Is Not Taken Seriously And What Brain Fog REALLY Means * 17:36 – Women Are Being Gaslit About Menopause Symptoms * 19:18 – Menopause as a Window to Prevent Alzheimer’s * 23:34 – Why Most Brain Training Apps Don’t Work * 29:06 – Building Brain Games for Women in Midlife * 35:11 – Early Symptoms…","meta_description":"This week on the Nina’s Notes Podcast, I sit down with Nahid Zoukaei, an Oxford researcher, cognitive neuroscientist, and founder of Cerebella, to explore…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3162,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/nina-s-notes-podcast-6700445/episodes/182-what-menopause-really-does-to-the-female-brain-with-nahid-zokaei/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nina-s-notes-podcast-6700445/182-what-menopause-really-does-to-the-female-brain-with-nahid-zokaei.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}