Male Hormone Therapy Boosts Memory

Researchers say testosterone treatments may help improve verbal and spatial memory for men 52 years of age and older.

University of Washington investigators curious about the link between decreasing hormones and memory loss found that 11 men between 52 and 79 years of age had significant improvements in verbal and spatial memory skills while undergoing testosterone therapy.

The researchers say the men -- given enough testosterone to bring their levels up to that of a healthy young man -- were more successful at memorizing walking a path through a maze while their improved verbal memory helped them perform tasks such as recalling a list of words.

While no improvements to the test subjects' attention or language memory was noted, researchers say the study will useful for treatment in aging disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.