Abstract
The main objective of this preliminary study was to further clarify the association between testosterone (T) levels and depression by investigating symptom-based depression subtypes in a sample of 64 men. The data were taken from the ZInEP epidemiology survey. Gonadal hormones of a melancholic (n = 25) and an atypical (n = 14) depression subtype, derived from latent class analysis, were compared with those of healthy controls (n = 18). Serum T was assayed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay procedure. Analysis of variance, analysis of covariance, non-parametrical tests, and generalized linear regression models were performed to examine group differences. The atypical depressive subtype showed significantly lower T levels compared with the melancholic depressives. While accumulative evidence indicates that, beyond psychosocial characteristics, the melancholic and atypical depressive subtypes are also distinguishable by biological correlates, the current study expanded this knowledge to include gonadal hormones. Further longitudinal research is warranted to disclose causality by linking the multiple processes in pathogenesis of depression.
Highlights
Apart from its gonadal functions, testosterone (T) has a significant influence on the human brain through various neurobiological processes [1,2,3]
No significant differences in demographic correlates were observed between these subsamples
The severe atypical subtype revealed a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and simple phobia significantly more often than the controls
Summary
Apart from its gonadal functions, testosterone (T) has a significant influence on the human brain through various neurobiological processes [1,2,3]. Low T levels (hypogonadism) have been associated with depression [4, 6,7,8], and there is evidence that T secretion is impaired during depressed mood [9, 10]. This association has not been observed consistently and some studies did not find any relationship between T levels and depression [11, 12]. There appears to be insufficient evidence to conclude that low T levels are routinely involved in the pathogenesis of MDD in men [15]
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