Male Sex Hormones ... For the Mind?

Declining testosterone levels can affect not just libido, but also many aspects of mood and memory, including memory loss. Testosterone is also believed to strongly influence cognitive function in the brain, particularly visuo-spatialization skills. Studies have found that if testosterone levels become too high or too low, this type of cognitive ability declines.

Although no one is sure precisely how testosterone affects the mind, experimental studies have revealed it may directly impact regions in the brain such as the hypothalamus and can affect important neurotransmitters in the brain which play pivotal roles in emotion, memory, and cognition.

Your body uses the hormone DHEA to make testosterone. Numerous animal studies have shown that the adrenal hormone DHEA and its sulfate form, DHEA, protect the brain from neuronal damage and enhance memory function. In humans, low DHEA correlates with the presence of organic brain syndrome in elderly men. Although a recent study found that DHEA replacement did not influence cognitive performance in a group of healthy elderly individuals, this may be because DHEA affects brain function through its balancing effect on the adrenal hormone cortisol (see Memory and Stress).

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References:

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