Administration of Testosterone Increases Functional Connectivity in a Cortico-Cortical Depression Circuit

Schutter, Dennis J.L.G.; Peper, Jiska S.; Koppeschaar, H. P. F.; Kahn, René S.; Honk, Jack van

doi:10.1176/jnp.17.3.372

Cited by 21 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…On the other hand, testosterone has been shown to increase both neurotransmitter function and metabolism, and low testosterone levels may affect serotonergic neurotransmission [13,39,40]. Furthermore, Schutter and coworkers reported that in healthy young women a single dose of testosterone increased the functional connectivity between left prefrontal and parietal cortices, areas considered important in the pathogenesis of depression [41]. Previously, the sex hormones were considered to be synthesized only in the gonads and to reach the brain via blood circulation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hypogonadism, Decreased Sexual Desire, and Long-Term Depression in Middle-Aged Men

Hintikka

Niskanen

Koivumaa‐Honkanen

et al. 2009

The Journal of Sexual Medicine

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Introduction In middle-aged men, the associations between long-term depressive symptoms and circulating testosterone levels are poorly known, although it is known that testosterone levels decrease with age. Methods A health questionnaire was mailed to a population-based sample from the National Population Register in 1998, 1999, and 2001. Based on their self-reported mental symptoms, a total of 116 men were selected for clinical examination in 2005. Half of them had high and the others low levels of adverse mental symptoms in all three previous follow-ups. A structured clinical interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV was performed. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). The Aging Males’ Symptoms scale was also compiled and testosterone levels were determined. Results In the entire study sample, serum free testosterone levels correlated negatively with both BDI and HDRS scores. In the hypogonadism group (based on free testosterone, 19.8% of the sample), clinically significant depression (BDI score ≥ 13) was more than three times as frequent as in the other men (34.8% vs. 10.4%), the odds ratio after multiple adjustments being 4.98 (95% confidence interval 1.66–14.95). A decrease in sexual desire was common in hypogonadism (36%). Nevertheless, it also associated with clinically significant depression, irrespective of free testosterone levels. Discussion Long-term and current depressive symptoms, a decreased sexual desire, and low serum free testosterone levels are associated in middle-aged men. Hypogonadism per se and as a cause of decreased sexual desire may be a contributory and possibly treatable factor underlying male depression. Conclusions The findings highlight the need for hormonal status assessment in middle-aged depressive men.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hypogonadism, Decreased Sexual Desire, and Long-Term Depression in Middle-Aged Men

Hintikka

Niskanen

Koivumaa‐Honkanen

et al. 2009

The Journal of Sexual Medicine

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“…Unlike other authors, we also excluded women with sexual disorders, a potential epiphenomenon of hypoandrogenism. We also excluded women who were not in a stable relationship and women with depression, because of evidence suggesting a clinical correlation between mood deflection and either hormonal [43] or marital disorders [44].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Menstrual Cycle-Related Changes in Circulating Androgens in Healthy Women With Self-Reported Normal Sexual Function

Salonia

Pontillo

Nappi

et al. 2008

The Journal of Sexual Medicine

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Introduction There is currently neither a clinically useful, reliable and inexpensive assay to measure circulating levels of free testosterone (T) in the range observed in women, nor is there agreement on the serum free T threshold defining hypoandrogenism that is associated with female-impaired sexual function. Aim Following the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines, we generated clinically applicable ranges for circulating androgens during specific phases of the menstrual cycle in a convenience sample of 120 reproductive-aged, regularly cycling healthy European Caucasian women with self-reported normal sexual function. Methods All participants were asked to complete a semistructured interview and fill out a set of validated questionnaires, including the Female Sexual Function Index, the Female Sexual Distress Scale, and the 21-item Beck's Inventory for Depression. Between 8 am and 10 am, a venous blood sample was drawn from each participant during the midfollicular (day 5 to 8), the ovulatory (day 13 to 15), and the midluteal phase (day 19 to 22) of the same menstrual cycle. Main Outcome Measures Serum levels of total and free testosterone, Δ4-androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and sex hormone-binding globulin during the midfollicular, ovulatory and midluteal phase of the same menstrual cycle. Results Total and free T levels showed significant fluctuations, peaking during the ovulatory phase. No significant variation during the menstrual cycle were observed for Δ4-androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate. Despite the careful selection of participants that yielded an homogeneous group of women without sexual disorders, we observed a wide range of distribution for each of the circulating androgens measured in this study. Conclusions This report provides clinically applicable ranges for androgens throughout the menstrual cycle in reproductive-aged, regularly cycling, young healthy Caucasian European women with self-reported normal sexual function.

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“…Sex differences in anxiety disorders are also found during childhood (Lewinsohn et al, ; McLean & Anderson, ; Salk et al, ). Testosterone administration was found to increase functional connectivity in cortical regions of the brain where low connectivity has been found in depressed patients (Schutter et al, ).…”

Section: Social Relations and Related Attributesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The reality and evolutionary significance of human psychological sex differences

2019

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The aims of this article are: (i) to provide a quantitative overview of sex differences in human psychological attributes; and (ii) to consider evidence for their possible evolutionary origins. Sex differences were identified from a systematic literature search of meta‐analyses and large‐sample studies. These were organized in terms of evolutionary significance as follows: (i) characteristics arising from inter‐male competition (within‐sex aggression; impulsiveness and sensation‐seeking; fearfulness; visuospatial and object‐location memory; object‐centred orientations); (ii) those concerning social relations that are likely to have arisen from women's adaptations for small‐group interactions and men's for larger co‐operative groups (person‐centred orientation and social skills; language; depression and anxiety); (iii) those arising from female choice (sexuality; mate choice; sexual conflict). There were sex differences in all categories, whose magnitudes ranged from (i) small (object location memory; negative emotions), to (ii) medium (mental rotation; anxiety disorders; impulsivity; sex drive; interest in casual sex), to (iii) large (social interests and abilities; sociosexuality); and (iv) very large (escalated aggression; systemizing; sexual violence). Evolutionary explanations were evaluated according to whether: (i) similar differences occur in other mammals; (ii) there is cross‐cultural consistency; (iii) the origin was early in life or at puberty; (iv) there was evidence for hormonal influences; and (v), where possible, whether there was evidence for evolutionarily derived design features. The evidence was positive for most features in most categories, suggesting evolutionary origins for a broad range of sex differences. Attributes for which there was no sex difference are also noted. Within‐sex variations are discussed as limitations to the emphasis on sex differences.

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Administration of Testosterone Increases Functional Connectivity in a Cortico-Cortical Depression Circuit

Abstract: Increasing evidence suggests that the steroid hormone testosterone (T) enhances libido and decreases depression. Even a single administration of T (0.5 mg sublingually) in healthy young

Cited by 21 publications

References 30 publications

Hypogonadism, Decreased Sexual Desire, and Long-Term Depression in Middle-Aged Men

Hypogonadism, Decreased Sexual Desire, and Long-Term Depression in Middle-Aged Men

Menstrual Cycle-Related Changes in Circulating Androgens in Healthy Women With Self-Reported Normal Sexual Function

The reality and evolutionary significance of human psychological sex differences

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