News and Views

  • Lalitha Venugopal Assistant Professor, Department Of Physiology, IGMC and RI, Pondicherry, INDIA.
Keywords: Nil

Abstract

The non-pregnant uterus is considered as an unimportant organ. Medical textbooks and textbooks in graduate schools describe the uterus as a mere reproductive organ, having the only function of accommodating and supporting a fetus or as a useless organ outside of reproduction. But, there is rising evidence from research suggesting otherwise. The uterus and ovaries communicate with each other for their reproductive functions. There are also direct connections between the uterus and brain through the autonomic nervous system. This lesser understood uterine-brain connections could affect the cognitive functions. Hyterectomy before the age of 60 is becoming common nowadays. A previous study conducted in animal models has shown that hysterectomy resulted in decreased memory capacity and an altered hormonal profile within two months after surgery. The rats that underwent the surgical removal of uterus with ovaries left intact had a memory deficit suggesting that the uterus might have functions beyond reproduction. Hence, the reproductive organs do have an impact on the cognitive aging of an individual. And whether this impact on the cognitive function following hysterectomy is reversible with time or is the beginning of more global memory impairment has be studied yet.

Published
2019-01-03
How to Cite
Venugopal, L. (2019). News and Views. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Physiology, 5(3), 161. https://doi.org/10.5530/ijcep.2018.5.3.13