Testosterone Study – Examining testosterone levels
The Testosterone study aims to determine if testosterone can help prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease by decreasing the levels of amyloid protein in the brain.
It has already been shown that sex hormones positively affect brain function, although their impact on cognition is, so far, less well understood.
Previous research has shown that treatment with testosterone reduced amyloid build-up, and many years of research followed that discovery in order to focus on the safety of administering testosterone to men.
The current research study involves an initial brain scan to look at amyloid levels in the brain. Participants then receive 13 months of treatment (or a placebo) and some memory testing, before a final brain scan to see if testosterone treatment has prevented the build-up of the amyloid protein in the brain.
The study has reached 75% of its recruitment target. However, more men aged 60 – 80 with lower-than-average testosterone levels are still required to complete the clinical study, which is conducted in Perth and Sydney.
The impact
The potential impact of this study is significant as testosterone is already an approved drug, and if it is confirmed to be effective in reducing the accumulation of amyloid, it could become an easily accessible treatment for a broader range of individuals.
