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Improve Learning & Memory

Testosterone Improves Verbal Learning
and Memory in Postmenopausal Women June 17, 2013 — (Testosterone is being pescribed to women in combination with estrogen & progesterone! ) Postmenopausal women had better
improvement in verbal learning and memory after receiving treatment with
testosterone gel, compared with women who received sham treatment with a
placebo, a new study found. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130617142043.htm" rel="nofollow">Monday at The Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

"This is the first
large, placebo-controlled study of the effects of testosterone on mental skills
in postmenopausal women who are not on estrogen therapy," said principal
investigator Susan Davis, MBBS (MD), PhD, of Monash University, Melbourne,
Australia. "Our study has confirmed our similar findings from two smaller
studies in postmenopausal women and suggests that testosterone therapy may
protect women against cognitive decline after menopause."



Menopause has been
linked with memory decline because of a decrease in levels of the protective
hormone estrogen. Yet testosterone also is an important hormone in women
because it has a role in sexual desire, bone density and energy while improving
mood. In men, studies have shown that testosterone replacement has favorable
effects on brain function.

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In this new,
investigator-initiated study, the Australian researchers randomly assigned 92
healthy postmenopausal women, ages 55 to 65, who were not receiving estrogen
therapy, to receive one of two treatments for 26 weeks. The treatments were a
testosterone gel (LibiGel, BioSante Pharmaceuticals) applied daily to the upper
arm, or a placebo, an identical-appearing gel containing none of the
medication. Neither the study participants nor the investigators were aware of
which gel the women received.

Before treatment and at
12 and 26 weeks of treatment, subjects underwent comprehensive testing of their
cognitive function (mental skills) using a computer-based battery of tests
designed for people with normal brain function (CogState). Ninety women completed the
study. The investigators found no cognitive differences between groups before
the start of treatment.

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After 26 weeks, the women who received testosterone
therapy had a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement
in verbal learning and memory -- how well they recalled words from a list,
Davis reported. The average test score for the testosterone-treated group was
1.6 points greater than that of the placebo group. No differences between the groups were evident
for any other cognitive test.

Women receiving
testosterone therapy reported no major side effects related to the gel. Their
testosterone levels increased with treatment but remained in the normal female
range.

Although further study
is needed in more women, Davis said the results are important. "There is
no effective treatment to date to prevent memory decline in women, who are
higher risk of dementia than men," she said.

*Testosterone is only prescribed to women in conjunction with other female hormones.  
Testing, monitoring and balancing is key!  

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