Testosterone May Improve Mental Function, From the Harvard Men's Health Watch
BOSTON, Jan. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- When we think about
the powers of testosterone, we usually do not consider mental
processes. However, research suggests that testosterone levels may
affect men's cognitive performance, reports the January 2008 issue
of Harvard Men's Health Watch.
All the body's attributes change with age, and mental functions
are no exception. Memory is the most fragile mental function. With
age, new learning is slower, new information is processed less
carefully, and details often slip. These changes give rise to the
"senior moment" in healthy elders and to cognitive impairment and
dementia in others.
Testosterone levels decline with age, just when memory begins to
slow. Might falling hormone levels account for some of the problem?
Perhaps, says Harvard Men's Health Watch. The data are far from
conclusive, but studies have found some connections. For instance,
higher testosterone levels in midlife have been linked to better
preservation of tissue in some parts of the brain. And in older
men, higher testosterone levels have been associated with better
performance on cognitive tests.
If higher testosterone levels are associated with better mental
function, do treatments that reduce testosterone lead to cognitive
decline? Three studies linked impaired performance on cognitive
tests with androgen deprivation therapy, which is sometimes used in
treating prostate cancer. However, the effects were modest and
certainly should not deter men from receiving this treatment if
needed.
This research also raises the question of whether testosterone
therapy might improve mental function in healthy older men, or even
in those with cognitive impairment. Only a few small, short-term
studies have examined this, and some have reported subtle
improvements on cognitive tests. However, high testosterone levels
may have harmful effects as well. Harvard Men's Health Watch
suggests that until more research findings are available, men
should not use testosterone or any other androgen to improve mental
function.
Also in this issue: -- Red meat and colon cancer -- Napping your way to health -- On Call: Is smoking in low doses okay?
Harvard Men's Health Watch is available from Harvard Health
Publications, the publishing division of Harvard Medical School,
for $24 per year. Subscribe at http://www.health.harvard.edu/men or by calling
877-649-9457 (toll-free).
Source: Harvard Men's Health Watch
CONTACT: Christine Junge of Harvard Health Publications,
+1-617-432-4717, Christine_Junge@hms.harvard.edu
Web Site: http://www.health.harvard.edu/men
NOTE TO EDITORS: May be used in whole or part with attribution. Media inquiries welcome.
<!--==============================-->Posted: January 2008
