Alexandra Faulkner, Roopal Desai, Nicky Keay, Shahara Aziz Ellahi, Spector Aimee
{"title":"Testosterone Therapy for Cognition in Menopause: Systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Alexandra Faulkner, Roopal Desai, Nicky Keay, Shahara Aziz Ellahi, Spector Aimee","doi":"10.1530/RAF-26-0080","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Lay summary: </strong>Menopause is a stage of life that can affect thinking and memory, often colloquially called 'brain fog'. Brain fog, can affect daily life and relationships. Hormone treatments are often used to manage symptoms, but it is still not clear how well they work. Testosterone is sometimes prescribed for low sex drive, but its effects on thinking and memory are unclear. This study reviews the existing evidence. Five studies were identified. These studies looked at different areas of thinking and memory, including attention, planning, decision-making and learning. We found no clear evidence that testosterone impacts thinking and memory. However, there were only a few small studies, so the results need to be interpreted carefully. This research highlights a knowledge gap. More studies are needed on testosterone to guide effective treatment and support women to make informed decisions about their health.</p>","PeriodicalId":101312,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & fertility","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4000,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Reproduction & fertility","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1530/RAF-26-0080","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Lay summary: Menopause is a stage of life that can affect thinking and memory, often colloquially called 'brain fog'. Brain fog, can affect daily life and relationships. Hormone treatments are often used to manage symptoms, but it is still not clear how well they work. Testosterone is sometimes prescribed for low sex drive, but its effects on thinking and memory are unclear. This study reviews the existing evidence. Five studies were identified. These studies looked at different areas of thinking and memory, including attention, planning, decision-making and learning. We found no clear evidence that testosterone impacts thinking and memory. However, there were only a few small studies, so the results need to be interpreted carefully. This research highlights a knowledge gap. More studies are needed on testosterone to guide effective treatment and support women to make informed decisions about their health.