Androgens and the Female Brain: The Relationship Between Testosterone Levels, Depression, Anxiety, Cognitive Function, and Emotion Processing in Females With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
January 2019
Studysummary In this study, females with PCOS experienced greater depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment linked to high testosterone levels, but anti-androgen treatment significantly improved mood and cognitive function.
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The study investigated the relationship between androgen levels and mood, cognitive function, and emotion processing in females with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), involving 53 females with PCOS and 54 controls. It found that females with PCOS exhibited more symptoms of depression and worse cognitive function, particularly in psychomotor speed and emotion processing, compared to controls. Higher testosterone levels correlated with worse mood and cognitive performance. Anti-androgen treatment over 12 weeks led to significant improvements in mood, anxiety, and cognitive functions, including verbal and visuospatial learning and memory, in the PCOS group. The findings suggested that testosterone excess in PCOS is linked to depressive symptoms and cognitive deficits, which may be alleviated by anti-androgen treatment.
