Changes in cerebral glucose metabolism and visuospatial capability in hypogonadal males under testosterone substitution therapy
Abstract
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.
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Effects of testosterone administration on the ability to process spatial data of visual content are observed within 2 weeks of treatment.
“Similarly, effects of testosterone administration in hypogonadal men on the ability to process spatial data of visual content were observed within 2 weeks of treatment (80).”
From Onset of effects of testosterone treatment and time span until maximum effects are achieved (2011) · cites this paper as [80]
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- Authors
- Zitzmann, M., Weckesser, M., Schober, O., & Nieschlag, E.
- Affiliations
- University of Münster (DE)
- Venue
- Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes
- Publisher
- Georg Thieme Verlag KG
- Published
- 2001-12-31
- Volume
- 109
- Issue
- 05
- Pages
- 302-304
- ISSN
- 0947-7349 (ISSN-L)
- 1439-3646
- OpenAlex
- W2052225335
- Cited by
- 52
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 1.85
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Hormonal and reproductive studies
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Automotive Engineering › Spatial Cognition and Navigation
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Sexual Differentiation and Disorders
- Keywords
- hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, brain glucose metabolism, mental rotation, visuospatial ability, spatial cognition, sex differences, brain activation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Brain, Glucose, Humans, Hypogonadism, Functional Laterality, Male, Middle Aged, Rotation, Space Perception, Testosterone, Tomography, Emission-Computed, Hormone Replacement Therapy
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