Testosterone administration affects ¹H-MRS metabolite spectra in transgender men

Recently, a variety of studies using different neuroimaging techniques attempted to identify the existence of a brain endophenotype in people with gender dysphoria (GD). However, despite mounting neuroimaging work, brain gender differences and effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) at the metabolite level remain understudied.

Thirty-one transgender men (TM) before and after testosterone administration (7.7 months ± 3.5 months), relative to 30 cisgender men (CM) and 35 cisgender women (CW) underwent magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) at two time points. Two brain regions were assessed, i.e. the lateral parietal cortex and the amygdala/anterior hippocampus. Associated metabolites that were measured include N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), choline (Cho), glutamate and glutamine (Glx), myo-inositol (mI), glycine (Gly) and their respective ratios.

A critical time by group interaction revealed an effect of GAHT in the lateral parietal cortex of TM. MI+Gly/Cr ratios decreased upon initiation of GAHT. In addition, NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios were lower in CW when compared to CM in the lateral parietal cortex. Glx levels and Glx/Cr ratios in TM differed from those in CW in the amygdala/anterior hippocampus. Interestingly, pubertal age of onset of gender dysphoria (i.e. GD) in TM differentially affected testosterone-mediated effects on Cr concentration and NAA/Cr ratios when compared to childhood and adult GD onset in the amygdala/anterior hippocampus.

This ¹H-MRS study demonstrated that testosterone administration shifts mI+Gly/Cr ratios in the parietal cortex. In the amygdala/anterior hippocampus, modulation of metabolite concentrations by age of onset of GD is suggestive for a possible developmental trend.