title: Relationship of serum testosterone levels with cognitive function in chronic antipsychotic-treated male patients with schizophrenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some evidence suggests that testosterone might be involved in the cognitive impairments of schizophrenia. We assessed major cognitive domains and serum testosterone levels in male long-term inpatients with schizophrenia. This study aimed to test whether testosterone in serum was abnormal in patients, and whether it was related to the cognitive impairment of schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum testosterone levels in male schizophrenics (n = 80) and normal controls (n = 40) were measured by immunoassay. All patients were assessed for performance on executive functions, sustaining and focusing of attention, memory functions, and verbal fluency using the Digit Cancellation Test (DCT), Semantic Fluency Test, Spatial Span (SS), Trail Making Test, part A (TMT-A), Block Design, and Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum testosterone levels in schizophrenic patients were similar to control subjects (P > 0.05). We found that serum testosterone levels were significantly correlated with total time taken (in seconds) in the DCT (r = 0.261, P < 0.05) and SS score (r = -0.240, P < 0.05) in schizophrenic patients. Moreover, backward linear regression revealed that testosterone levels significantly predicted performance in DCT (β = 0.240, P = 0.028) and SS score (β = -0.207, P = 0.047) in patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that there is no significant difference in serum testosterone levels between groups, and that serum testosterone levels are associated with the spatial memory and attention deficits in chronic antipsychotic-treated male patients with schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated WuTaiShan Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated WuTaiShan Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Wenhuan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated WuTaiShan Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Weiwei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sha
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated WuTaiShan Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Kangwen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xian
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated WuTaiShan Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated WuTaiShan Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiaobin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone
keywords: cognitive function; schizophrenia; testosterone