# Elevated testosterone kills nerve cells



## shesulsa (Sep 28, 2006)

Here's an item making its way around the media right now.



> *New Haven, Conn.*  A Yale School of Medicine study shows for the first time that a high level of testosterone, such as that caused by the use of steroids to increase muscle mass or for replacement therapy, can lead to a catastrophic loss of brain cells.
> Taking large doses of androgens, or steroids, is known to cause hyperexcitability, a highly aggressive nature, and suicidal tendencies. These behavioral changes could be evidence of alterations in neuronal function caused by the steroids, said the senior author, Barbara Ehrlich, professor of pharmacology and physiology.
> Next time a muscle-bound guy in a sports car cuts you off on the highway, dont get mad, just take a deep breath and realize that it might not be his fault, said Ehrlich.



FULL ARTICLE

What surprised me about this particular article is that even testosterone used in hormone replacement therapy can cause this damage.  

Comments?


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## Bigshadow (Sep 28, 2006)

So there may be some truth in the stereotype of "big and dumb"?


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## exile (Sep 28, 2006)

shesulsa said:


> Here's an item making its way around the media right now. What surprised me about this particular article is that even testosterone used in hormone replacement therapy can cause this damage.
> 
> Comments?



Well, for one thing, it ties in nicely with people's impression that bulking up harms your speed and flexibility. A lot of really bulky guys get that way via steroids or injected testosterone---the body really fights building extra muscle after a certain point, even if you do serious weight training---and if these huge guys are experiencing neurological damage, it makes sense that their coordination and body response to neural signals is going to be noticeably impaired. So it's very likely it's not the muscle tissue per se that's causing the problem, it's what they're taking to get so muscular that makes them `muscle bound'.


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## Kembudo-Kai Kempoka (Sep 29, 2006)

Ah dohn tin der aneee truf two dta. Mah brin issss fahn. Know noorologickle pickles heer.

Regards,

Steroid Dave


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## Fuzzy Foot (Oct 3, 2006)

Many people don't realize that the nervous system and hormonal system are very closely linked. Some neurotransmitters, the chemicals that trigger nerve impulses, are similar in chemical structure to hormones. The body works as a complete system not as separate parts or systems.


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## exile (Oct 3, 2006)

Fuzzy Foot said:


> Many people don't realize that the nervous system and hormonal system are very closely linked. Some neurotransmitters, the chemicals that trigger nerve impulses, are similar in chemical structure to hormones. The body works as a complete system not as separate parts or systems.



Good point, Fuzzy Foot! A lot of pro body builders---a lot of amateurs too, come to think of it---are probably neuronal train wrecks by this point.


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## Cryozombie (Oct 4, 2006)

> These behavioral changes *could be* evidence of alterations in neuronal function caused by the steroids, said the senior author, Barbara Ehrlich, professor of pharmacology and physiology.



Could be caused by phases of the moon too... Could be could be could be.

besides, we know, like Cliff Clavens Beer theory, its the slowest and weakest that die first, so it actually should make our brains more efficient.

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