OBJECTIVES: This article defines androgens (and anabolic steroids),
describes their mechanisms of action, and summarizes their behavioral
effects and relevance in animals and humans. METHOD: A MEDLINE-derived
review of the literature on androgens and behavior was performed; pivotal
earlier publications were also obtained and included in the review.
RESULTS: In animals, the effects of androgens on brain structure and
function are well-established and profound, with behavioral implications
extending far beyond reproduction. Androgens play a prominent role in the
organization or programming of brain circuits, which are subsequently
activated by gonadal steroids. In humans, roles for androgens have been
described, albeit inconsistently, in the regulation of sexuality,
aggression, cognition, emotion, and personality. The relevance of androgens
for psychiatry is further suggested by gender-related differences in
pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics and in the prevalence, course, and
treatment response characteristics of several psychiatric disorders. Direct
psychoactive effects of exogenously administered androgens have been
described for many years, most recently in reports of the psychotoxic
effects of anabolic steroids. CONCLUSIONS: Data from both animals and
humans suggest that the biological and behavioral responses to androgens
are context-dependent.Abstract Teaser