The difficulties that many women describe as memory problems when menopause approaches are real,

The findings won't come as a surprise to the millions of women who have had bouts of forgetfulness or who describe struggles with "brain fog" in their late 40s and 50s

Women who reported memory difficulties were also more likely to report symptoms of depression, anxiety, and sleep difficulties. The team did not find any link between memory problems and hormone levels.

Generally anywhere from one-third to two-thirds of women during this stage of life report forgetfulness and other difficulties that they view as related to poor memory.

"If you speak with middle-aged women, many will say, yes, we've known this. We've experienced this," said Weber, assistant professor of Neurology. "But it hasn't been investigated thoroughly in the scientific literature.