Steroid hormones, memory and mood in a healthy elderly population.
Men (n = 31), women estrogen-users (n = 14), and women estrogen non-users (n = 41), whose average age was 72.1 +/- 5.6 years, were tested with a battery of psychological tests measuring verbal memory, visual memory, concentration and attention, language fluency and semantic memory, and mood. Plasma levels of testosterone (T), estradiol (E2), cortisol (CRT) and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEAS) were assessed by radioimmunoassay. The ratio of DHEAS to CRT was calculated to determine it's relationship to memory functioning. The men had higher T and DHEAS levels than both groups of women. Women estrogen-users had higher E2 levels than both men and estrogen non-users and the men had higher E2 levels and a higher DHEAS/CRT ratio than the estrogen non-users. There were no group differences in CRT levels. Men and estrogen-users had higher total (p < .01) and forward (p < .001) digit span scores compared with non-users. Women estrogen-users also had higher backward digit span scores than non-users (p < .05), while both groups of women performed better than men on category retrieval (p < .01). The implications of these findings with respect to hormonal influences on memory in elderly men and women are discussed.
Carlson
L E
LE
Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. lindac@ego.psych.mcgill.ca
Sherwin
B B
BB
D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012016:Reference Values; D013256:Steroids / Q000097:blood*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
D013256:Steroids; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D006854:Hydrocortisone