Biological Psychiatry Press Release. Testosterone in Healthy Men Increases Their Brains’ Response to Threat - A new study in Biological Psychiatry reports on a neural circuit for male aggression. Testosterone, a steroid hormone, is well known to contribute to aggressive behavior in males, but the neural circuits through which testosterone exerts these effects have not been clear. Prior studies found that the administration of a single dose of testosterone influenced brain circuit function. Surprisingly, however, these studies were conducted exclusively in women. Researchers, led by Dr. Justin Carré, sought to rectify this gap by conducting a study of the effects of testosterone on the brain’s response to threat cues in healthy men. “We were able to show for the first time that increasing levels of testosterone within the normal physiological range can have a profound effect on brain circuits that are involved in threat-processing and human aggression,” said Carré, Assistant Professor at Nipissing University. “Understanding testosterone effects on the brain activity patterns associated with threat and aggression may help us to better understand the ‘fight or flight’ response in males that may be relevant to aggression and anxiety,” commented Dr. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry. vimeo/100930608 bit.ly/1vbWN1y
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 03:52:21 +0000
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