Do steroids hinder cognitive performance and memory?

[Rekrul]

It is well known that low levels of testosterone affect reasoning and spatial ability. But I'm curious as to if any of you or perhaps you have read about the affects of high dosages of androgens and their affect on things like cognition, IQ, and memory?

 

[mohdgame]

Unless ur steroids is mixed with some chemical substance that kills the brain cells then no. Testosterone in it nature doesn't affect the neurons and brain cells, its a sex/growth hormone. What it can do to the brain is to change its chemical, make you moody, aggressive, so it might not decrease your IQ but it may cloud your judgment. Besides, at reasonable doses it hardly effect alot of test-sensetive organs like the prostate so think how minimal effect it would be on the brain?

 

[OMEGA]

Id imagine if E was high as a result of high T then yes

 

[ghostwipe]

If anything, they help mine (I only do very low dose T though).

 

[Para_Shoot]

If it does, it's only in your mind..

 

[TONY83]

Only research done on this will tell you.

 

[Discreet User]

Only research done on this will tell you.

True, but most will tell you that on their first Test only cycle they felt they were sharper and could think more clearly. That was the case for me. My first cycle was Test C 400mg/week & arimidex .5mg EOD. Many things have an effect as well, such as estrogen levels. You will see people on here write about how they feel wimpy when their estrogen gets too high.

These days, even at higher doses of Testosterone, I still feel my mind functions better than when I'm off cycle.

 

[Rekrul]

True, but most will tell you that on their first Test only cycle they felt they were sharper and could think more clearly. That was the case for me. My first cycle was Test C 400mg/week & arimidex .5mg EOD. Many things have an effect as well, such as estrogen levels. You will see people on here write about how they feel wimpy when their estrogen gets too high.

These days, even at higher doses of Testosterone, I still feel my mind functions better than when I'm off cycle.

Hmm interesting, I don't know if I felt more cognitively able when I was on or off. But a friend of mine insists that his memory has become much duller due to cycles. Though I realize that testosterone is a sex hormone, the notion that just because a low dose of T has not affect on prostate would indicate that it would less likely have an affect on the brain isn't really sound logic. The body is extremely complex and interconnected, much more so than we can likely appreciate. I mean after all the GNRH is released by the hypothalamus to affect the anterior pituitary... which is part of the brain after all.

 

[ceo]

how old is your friend? Does he do any other drugs (weed, alcohol even)?

 

[Rekrul]

He is 26, I know he rarely drinks and doesn't smoke at all.

 

[ALIN]

If anything, they help mine (I only do very low dose T though).

My thoughts exactly. I actually think it can improve these functions.

 

[mrplunkey]

I've wondered this for years.

To me personally, I'm not as mentally sharp while on-cycle.

But I do have more energy and a more positive outlook while on-cycle -- so it balances out. It won't stop me from doing another cycle for a second.

 

[Arsy]

You can't base your knowledge on the wack anecdotes and introspections of the commenters in this thread about this subject, so I thought I'd provide you with a little bit of research. Since you'll find this thread by googling about this subject, I think it's quite important for the readers to get this information. That's why I find this 5year BUMP necessary.

___________

Cognitive Deficits in Long-Term Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Users by Gen Kanayama et al.

Background

Millions of individuals worldwide have used anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) to gain muscle or improve athletic performance. Recently, in vitro investigations have suggested that supraphysiologic AAS doses cause apoptosis of neuronal cells. These findings raise the possibility, apparently still untested, that humans using high-dose AAS might eventually develop cognitive deficits.

Methods

We administered five cognitive tests from the computerized CANTAB battery (Pattern Recognition Memory, Verbal Recognition Memory, Paired Associates Learning, Choice Reaction Time, and Rapid Visual Information Processing) to 31 male AAS users and 13 non-AAS-using weightlifters age 29-55, recruited and studied in May 2012 in Middlesbrough, UK. Testers were blinded to participants’ AAS status and other historical data.

Results

Long-term AAS users showed no significant differences from nonusers on measures of response speed, sustained attention, and verbal memory. On visuospatial memory, however, AAS users performed significantly more poorly than nonusers, and within the user group, visuospatial performance showed a significant negative correlation with total lifetime AAS dose. These were large effects: on Pattern Recognition Memory, long-term AAS users underperformed nonusers by almost one standard deviation, based on normative population scores (adjusted mean difference in z-scores = 0.89; p = 0.036), and performance on this test declined markedly with increasing lifetime AAS dose (adjusted change in z-score = −0.13 per 100g of lifetime AAS dose; p = 0.002). These results remained stable in sensitivity analyses addressing potential confounding factors.

Conclusions

These preliminary findings raise the ominous possibility that long-term high-dose AAS exposure may cause cognitive deficits, notably in visuospatial memory.

_____________________

Now don't panic too much, a longitudinal correlational research would be MUCH better to determine the cognitive effects of AAS abuse. Strong first post btw.