Androgens, ageing, behavior and cognition: Complex interactions and novel areas of inquiry

This article reviews the complex relationship between androgens and behavio r, changes that occur with ageing and in particular hormone effects on cogn itive abilities. Androgens are steroid hormones that exert both anabolic an d androgenic effects which masculinize the developing organism and brain st ructure. Throughout the lifespan, androgens continue to exert notable effec ts on behavior and cognition beyond reproductive functions. As men age, the y undergo a natural decline in circulating testosterone which can effect mu scle mass, bone density, sexual activity and cognition. Neural effects of t estosterone mediated through the androgen receptor are widespread and compl ex but may have specific effects on spatial navigation and memory. In human s, testosterone may underlie gender differences on cognitive tasks with evi dence for men outperforming women on spatial tasks. Studies of exogenous te stosterone administration in men have yielded mixed results, some demonstra ting improvements in spatial tasks and others failing to find improvements. Preliminary results for an ongoing study are included which suggest improv ements in spatial and verbal memory in a group of healthy older men from ro bustly elevated testosterone levels. Overall, the effects of androgens on b ehavior are complex with numerous modulators producing context dependent in teractions and bi-directional interactions as well as effects on cognition.