Prolonged anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) use has been associated with psychiatric symptoms and cognitive deficits. Researchers investigated the association between long-term AAS exposure and brain morphometry, including subcortical neuroanatomical volumes and regional cortical thickness. Using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging, they compared 82 weightlifters who had used AASs for longer than one year with 68 weightlifters who had never used AASs or other doping substances. Researchers discovered negative correlations between AAS use and brain volume and cortical thickness, raising concerns about the use of AASs on brain structure. Commenting on the study, Dr. Dubovsky with NEJM Journal Watch Psychiatry commented that steroids readily enter the brain and bind to androgen receptors. The possible mechanisms of steroid-induced neurotoxicity include formation of β-amyloid, oxidative stress, and cardiovascular effects on brain circulation. Consequences include accelerated brain aging, cognitive decline, and dementia, as well as decreased resilience associated with psychiatric syndromes.
Bjørnebekk A, et al. Structural Brain Imaging of Long Term Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Users and Non-using Weightlifters. Biol Psychiatry 2016 June 30; doi.org/10.1016/biopsych.2016.06.017