---
title: "Women's Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging"
nct_id: NCT00631332
overall_status: COMPLETED
sponsor: Wake Forest University
study_type: OBSERVATIONAL
primary_condition: Healthy
countries: United States
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT00631332.md"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00631332"
ct_last_update_post_date: 2017-11-06
last_seen_at: "2026-05-12T06:37:07.285Z"
source: ClinicalTrials.gov (mirrored, no enrichment)
---
# Women's Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging

**Official Title:** Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy on Cognitive Aging: Women's Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging (WHISCA)

**NCT ID:** [NCT00631332](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00631332)

## Key Facts

- **Status:** COMPLETED
- **Study Type:** OBSERVATIONAL
- **Target Enrollment:** 2303
- **Lead Sponsor:** Wake Forest University
- **Conditions:** Healthy
- **Start Date:** 1999-07
- **Completion Date:** 2008-06
- **CT.gov Last Update:** 2017-11-06

## Brief Summary

The Women's Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging (WHISCA) is a two-armed, randomized, placebo controlled, clinical trial designed to assess the efficacy of postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) on age related changes in specific cognitive functions.

## Detailed Description

WHISCA is an ancillary study to the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) and the WHI Memory Study (WHIMS) and has enrolled 2303 women aged 66 to 84 years who did not meet the criteria for dementia. WHISCA is investigating the effects of hormone therapy on rates of change over time in memory, other aspects of cognition (language, attention, spatial ability), motor function, and mood.

Objectives

* Does HT protect against age-associated memory and cognitive longitudinal decline in women age 65 and older?
* What is the rate of change in memory and other cognitive abilities in women receiving HT compared to women receiving placebo?
* Does the addition of progesterone to HT modify the effects of estrogen on memory and other cognitive abilities?

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 65 Years
- **Maximum age:** 90 Years
- **Sex:** FEMALE
- **Healthy Volunteers:** Yes

```
Inclusion Criteria:

* Enrolled in WHIMS
* At least 65 years old
* Not diagnosed with dementia

Exclusion Criteria:

* Women younger than 65 years of age
* Have dementia
* not enrolled in WHIMS
```

## Primary Outcomes

- **Determine if HT protect against age-associated memory and cognitive longitudinal decline in women age 65 and older as measured over time by a series of cognitive tests administered annually.** _(time frame: Annual assessment done annually.)_ — The primary outcome measures are the changes in scores from a standardized neuropsychological assessment will be conducted annually. The battery is comprised primarily of tests of memory, and includes the following tests in specified order: the Prospective Memory Tests, Primary Mental Abilities Vocabulary Test, the California Verbal Learning Test, the Benton Visual Retention Test, Card Rotations Test, the Finger Tapping Test, the Letter and Semantic Fluency Test and the Digit Span Test. In addition, the Positive and Negative Affect Scale and Geriatric Depression Scale will be administered.

## Secondary Outcomes

- **Determine the long-term effects of HT on changes in memory, other cognitive functions, and affect; and to investigate predictors of the transitions between normal aging and mild cognitive impairment and mild cognitive impairment and dementia.** _(time frame: measured over life of the study)_

## Locations (1)

- Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

## Recent Field Changes (last 30 days)

- `status.overallStatus` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.primaryCompletionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.completionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.lastUpdatePostDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `design.enrollmentCount` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.criteria` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.minAge` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.maxAge` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.sex` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `outcomes.primary` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `outcomes.secondary` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `sponsor.lead` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `results.hasResults` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `locations.wake forest university school of medicine|winston-salem|north carolina|united states` — added _(2026-05-12)_

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT00631332.md*  
*Source data (authoritative): https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00631332*  
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