Scientists from Ben-Gurion University in Israel have found a link between low testosterone levels and the risk of developing anxiety disorders. results published In the journal Molecular Psychiatry (Molecular Psy).
Results of an experiment involving laboratory mice showed that male animals exhibiting increased anxiety had significantly reduced levels of a specific receptor called TACR3 in the hippocampus. This is an area of the brain closely associated with learning and memory processes.
Previous studies have shown that mutations in TACR3-related genes lead to congenital hypogonadism. This is a pathological condition that develops with significant restriction of physical activity. Physical inactivity often causes a decrease in the production of sex hormones such as testosterone. It is stated that young men with low testosterone levels often experience delays in sexual development, which is accompanied by depression and increased anxiety.
Using the cross-correlation method (a computational method based on assessing the dependence of one property on another), scientists found that a decrease in TACR3 activity leads to a sharp increase in the number of these receptors in the surface layers of cells. This leads to decreased synaptic plasticity (the ability to change the strength of connections between brain cells and reorganize neural circuits to adapt to the environment). This pathology can cause the development of anxiety disorder.
Researchers also found that the effects of insufficient TACR receptor activity can be reduced by testosterone injections. They expressed hope that testosterone administration could be a promising treatment for anxiety disorder.
Psychologists before discovered A new factor that prevents the fight against depression.