Testosterone Treatment of Men With Mild Cognitive Impairment and Low Testosterone Levels

Abstract

Introduction: This study investigated the effects of testosterone (T) treatment on cognition, mood, and quality of life in men with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and low serum T levels. Methods: A total of 351 community-dwelling men were screened, and 37 men evidenced both MCI and low T of whom 27 agreed for further screening. Twenty-two met all the study inclusion/ exclusion criteria and enrolled in a 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Results: Total T levels significantly increased in the T treatment group. No significant changes were observed in measures of cognition, mood, or quality of life other than improvement in 1 objective measure of verbal memory (P < .05) and decreased depression symptoms (P < .02) in the treatment group. Conclusions: Testosterone treatment may modestly improve verbal memory and depression symptoms in men with both MCI and low T.