Changes in cerebral glucose metabolism and visuospatial capability in hypogonadal males under testosterone substitution therapy

Summary:

Genders differ concerning abilities of spatial cognition; positive associations of testosterone levels with corresponding scores have been reported, as well. We addressed the question whether there is a testosterone-susceptible area within cerebral structures previously described to be involved in mental rotation. Using F-18-deoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET), we studied cerebral glucose metabolism during a standardized 3-dimensional mental rotation task in 6 right-handed men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism before and under testosterone substitution therapy. Under elevated testosterone levels, enhanced cerebral glucose metabolism during mental rotation was observed in the 4 subjects with improved visuospatial capability. Areas involved were previously demonstrated to be activated by such tasks in eugonadal men.

Testosterone - visuo-spatial cognition - male hypogonadism - PET-imaging - visual processing stream

References

• 1 Cohen M S, Kosslyn S M, Breiter H C, DiGirolamo G J, Thompson W L, Anderson A K, Brookheimer S Y, Rosen B R, Belliveau J W. Changes in cortical activity during mental rotation. A mapping study using functional MRI.  Brain. 119 89-100 1996; 
• 2 Deter B. Zum Einfluß von Übung und Training auf die Leistung im “Test für medizinische Studiengänge (TMS)”. Braunschweig 1982
• 3 Gur R C, Alsop D, Glahn D, Petty R, Swanson C L, Maldjian J A, Turetsky B I, Detre J A, Gee J, Gur R E. An fMRI study of sex differences in regional activation to a verbal and a spatial task.  Brain Lang. 74 157-170 2000; 
• 4 Haier R J, Siegel B V, MacLachlan A, Soderling E, Lottenberg S, Buchsbaum M S. Regional glucose metabolic changes after learning a complex visuospatial/motor task: A positron emission tomographic study.  Brain Res. 570 134-143 1992; 
• 5 Janowsky J S, Oviat S K, Orwoll E S. Testosterone influences spatial cognition in older men.  Behav Neurosci. 108 325-332 1994; 
• 6 Shen L, Hu X, Yacoub E, Ugurbil K. Neural correlates of visual form and visual spatial processing.  Hum Brain Mapp. 8 60-71 1999; 
• 7 Silverman I, Kastuk D, Choi J, Phillips K. Testosterone levels and spatial ability in men.  Psychoneuroendocrinology. 24 813-822 1999; 
• 8 Talairach J, Tournoux P. Co-planar stereotaxic atlas of the human brain. First Edition. Thieme, New York 1988
• 9 Voyer D, Voye S, Bryden M P. Magnitude of sex differences in spatial abilities: A meta-analysis and consideration of critical variables.  Psychol Bull. 117 250-270 1995;