Effect of Testosterone on Spatial Memory in Ovariectomized Female Rats

Declining androgen levels due to normal aging have been linked to declines in cognition, including spatial memory. Past research has shown that testosterone treatment can improve spatial memory in a dose-dependent manner, but most research has focused on male subjects. In this study, I investigated the effect of testosterone (T) on spatial memory in ovariectomized female rats. The subjects were divided into five treatment groups: 2.0 mg/kg T, 1.0 mg/kg T, 0.5 mg/kg T, Oil OVX, and Oil Sham. All subjects were bilaterally ovariectomized except the Oil Sham group. Spatial memory was assessed using an object location memory task. Serum testosterone concentration was significantly different between all groups. Serum estradiol level was significantly greater among the Oil Sham group compared to all other groups. No significant differences were found between exploration ratio during exposure and testing trials among any of the treatment groups, indicating that testosterone treatment did not improve spatial memory in any group. These findings suggest that testosterone treatment does not improve spatial memory in females with low bioavailability of estrogen and would not be useful in treating cognitive decline in aging women.