title: Endogenous sex hormones and cognitive function in older adults: a systematic review.
abstract: Estrogen and testosterone may influence cognition in older adults, but the relationship between sex hormones and cognitive function is complex. The aim of this systematic review is to examine the role of sex hormones in cognitive function among older adults. A comprehensive, electronic review of literature was performed. Inclusion criteria were original quantitative research, written in English, used human subjects with a mean age of ≥60 years, and published from January 1997 through May 2012. Findings were mixed, although potential patterns were identified. Estradiol levels were potentially associated with benefits to episodic memory, semantic memory, verbal memory, and verbal learning in females only. The association between testosterone and cognitive function was mixed in both genders. Mixed findings may have been influenced by methodological differences and future studies should include research designs with ample rigor, sufficiently powered samples, consistent cognitive measurements, and clear descriptions of handling and storage of biological specimens.
authors.affiliation: 1University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boss
authors.forename: Duck-Hee
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bergstrom
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones
keywords: cognitive function; estrogen; older adults; sex hormones; testosterone