Sex steroids modify working memory
- PMID: 10931767
- DOI: 10.1162/089892900562228
Sex steroids modify working memory
Abstract
In the last ten years, numerous mechanisms by which sex steroids modify cortical function have been described. For example, estrogen replacement improves verbal memory in women, and animal studies have shown effects of estrogen on hippocampal synaptogenesis and function. Little is known about sex steroid effects on other aspects of memory, such as frontal lobe-mediated working memory. We examined the relationships between working memory and sex steroid concentrations and whether sex steroid supplementation would modify age-related loss of working memory in older men and women. Before hormone supplementation, working memory, tested with the Subject Ordered Pointing Test (SOP), was worse in older subjects than younger subjects, and there was no evidence of gender differences at either age. Testosterone supplementation improved working memory in older men, but a similar enhancement of working memory was not found in older women supplemented with estrogen. In men, testosterone and estrogen effects were reciprocal - with better working memory related to a higher testosterone to estrogen ratio. These results suggest that sex steroids can modulate working memory in men and can act as modulators of cognition throughout life.
Similar articles
-
Testosterone, but not nonaromatizable dihydrotestosterone, improves working memory and alters nerve growth factor levels in aged male rats.Exp Neurol. 2003 Jun;181(2):301-12. doi: 10.1016/s0014-4886(03)00061-x. Exp Neurol. 2003. PMID: 12782002
-
Cognition is not modified by large but temporary changes in sex hormones in men.J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Jan;95(1):280-8. doi: 10.1210/jc.2009-1346. Epub 2009 Oct 30. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010. PMID: 19880786 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.
-
Endogenous estradiol and testosterone levels are associated with cognitive performance in older women and men.Horm Behav. 2002 May;41(3):259-66. doi: 10.1006/hbeh.2002.1770. Horm Behav. 2002. PMID: 11971659
-
Testosterone supplementation therapy for older men: potential benefits and risks.J Am Geriatr Soc. 2003 Jan;51(1):101-15; discussion 115. doi: 10.1034/j.1601-5215.2002.51018.x. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2003. PMID: 12534854 Review.
-
Cognitive functions and sex steroids.Ann Endocrinol (Paris). 2003 Apr;64(2):158-61. Ann Endocrinol (Paris). 2003. PMID: 12773955 Review.
Cited by
-
Estradiol-mediated modulation of memory and of the underlying dendritic spine plasticity through the life span.Histol Histopathol. 2024 Apr;39(4):411-423. doi: 10.14670/HH-18-672. Epub 2023 Nov 3. Histol Histopathol. 2024. PMID: 37966087 Review.
-
Under pressure: the interaction between high-stakes contexts and individual differences in decision-making in humans and non-human species.Anim Cogn. 2023 Jul;26(4):1103-1117. doi: 10.1007/s10071-023-01768-z. Epub 2023 Mar 29. Anim Cogn. 2023. PMID: 36988737 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Testosterone Deficiency as One of the Major Endocrine Disorders in Chronic Kidney Disease.Nutrients. 2022 Aug 21;14(16):3438. doi: 10.3390/nu14163438. Nutrients. 2022. PMID: 36014945 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Androgen Affects the Inhibitory Avoidance Memory by Primarily Acting on Androgen Receptor in the Brain in Adolescent Male Rats.Brain Sci. 2021 Feb 14;11(2):239. doi: 10.3390/brainsci11020239. Brain Sci. 2021. PMID: 33672867 Free PMC article.
-
Changes in Hippocampal Androgen Receptor Density and Behavior in Sprague-Dawley Male Rats Exposed to a Low-Pressure Blast Wave.Brain Plast. 2020 Oct 1;5(2):135-145. doi: 10.3233/BPL-200107. Brain Plast. 2020. PMID: 33282677 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources