Is Testosterone Treatment Effective for Anhedonia?

Anhedonia is the lack of feeling or emotion during events that should be causing some form of excitement or pleasure. It is commonly seen as a symptom in people with depression. A person who is depressed may win a big prize or be in a relationship and gain nothing emotionally from it. While there are several medications on the market to counter depression, some men may benefit from the use of testosterone as treatment for depression and the accompanying anhedonia.

Depression

• Depression is a psychological condition where a person's drive or emotions are low or nonexistent. A person with depression finds little to no joy in daily events that should be, by all accounts, enjoyable. The causes for depression vary from abnormal brain chemistry to physiological conditions such as hormonal imbalances from malfunctioning glands. Medical treatment is aimed at rebalancing the brain chemistry or the hormones.

Testosterone

• Testosterone is a hormone produced by the male testes and, in very trace amounts, by the female ovaries. In males, testosterone is responsible for secondary sexual characteristics like a deeper voice and body hair. Testosterone in males is also responsible for increased muscle mass and lower body fat. In females, testosterone is mostly a by-product of the production of progesterone, a hormone responsible for female secondary sexual characteristics. For the purpose of explaining the association of testosterone and anhedonia, the effects of testosterone in males will be addressed.

Testosterone as Treatment

• A 2003 study by Harvard University psychiatrists showed that men who suffered from clinical depression benefited from testosterone supplements, in the form of a gel. It was found that their mood improved, and their anhedonia disappeared. The researchers also found that men increased their muscle mass and decreased their body fat content, an expected result. So questions remain as to whether it was the that took care of their depression.

Who Benefits?

• Some men experience low testosterone because of a malfunction in their testes, or in the brain glands that tell the testes to produce testosterone. Some men produce lower levels of testosterone if they are overweight or if they are receiving certain medical treatments. Also, men naturally produce less testosterone as they get older. If clinical depression sets in with any of these groups, they may benefit from testosterone treatment to treat their depression and accompanying anhedonia.

Caveats

• Use of testosterone is not without consequence. When used as a replacement for any hormonal imbalance, to gain muscle mass or to treat depression, testosterone has been associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer in men. Of course, these risks must be balanced with the risks of depression and the improvement in the quality of life a patient may receive after successful treatment of their depression. A health care provider is the best person to help in making this decision.