Effects of testosterone and estrogen replacement on memory function

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Neuroscience
• Women's Health

Background:

• Testosterone insufficiency is linked to psychosexual and metabolic issues, with less known about its cognitive effects.
• Estrogen therapy is common for surgically induced menopause, but its impact on cognition alongside testosterone is less understood.
• Oophorectomized women represent a unique population for studying hormone replacement therapy's cognitive effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of adding testosterone to estrogen therapy on memory functions in women who have undergone oophorectomy.
• To assess the effects on verbal and spatial episodic memory and incidental learning.
• To compare cognitive outcomes between estrogen plus testosterone and estrogen plus placebo treatments.

Main Methods:

• Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 50 oophorectomized women (mean age 54.0 years).
• Participants received estradiol valerate with either testosterone undecanoate or placebo.
• Memory was assessed using self-report questionnaires and neuropsychological tests at baseline, crossover, and study completion.

Main Results:

• Testosterone undecanoate (40 mg) added to estrogen therapy negatively affected immediate verbal memory at 24 weeks.
• Subjective memory improvements were noted in the estrogen + placebo group but not in the estrogen + testosterone group.
• Verbal attention span declined from baseline with estrogen + placebo, but not with estrogen + testosterone; however, no significant group difference was found.

Conclusions:

• Adding testosterone to estrogen treatment deteriorated immediate verbal memory compared to estrogen plus placebo.
• Other memory functions, including delayed verbal memory and spatial memory, were not significantly affected.
• The findings suggest a nuanced effect of combined hormone therapy on specific aspects of memory in oophorectomized women.