Hypogonadal status and functional cerebral lateralization in adult men

Sex differences have been reported in human morphological, physiological, a nd functional cerebral asymmetries. While several theories have specificall y focused upon the relationship between prenatal testosterone and dimorphic patterns of laterality, activational influences of testosterone on cerebra l lateralization are rarely discussed. In the present study, lateralization fur face recognition and letter identification was examined in adult hypog onadal and control men. Hypogonadal men exhibited a decreased degree of asy mmetry for face recognition but not letter performance compared to men with normal circulating concentrations of gonadal steroids. These results illus trate activational influences of testosterone on cerebral asymmetries. (C) 1999 Academic Press.