Evaluation of Association Between Testosterone Levels, Dementia, and Adverse Mental Health Outcomes

February 17, 2026 updated by: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Evaluation of a Causal Association Between Testosterone Levels, Dementia, and Adverse Mental Health Outcomes: A Mendelian Randomization Analysis

This study evaluates the association between testosterone levels and risk of dementia and adverse mental health outcomes (e.g. depression and anxiety). It is not known whether low testosterone levels may be associated with an increased risk of dementia. Learning about the association between testosterone levels and risk of dementia may help determine the long-term effects of androgen deprivation therapy and may help improve quality of life.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To use a Mendelian randomization study design to determine whether genetically predicted decreased testosterone levels are associated with an increased risk of dementia.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To examine whether genetically predicted decreased testosterone levels are associated with worse cognitive function and adverse mental health outcomes.

OUTLINE:

Patients' records from institutional or national biobanks are reviewed.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Texas
      • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
        • M D Anderson Cancer Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Individuals have volunteered to participate in institutional or national biobanks

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Have volunteered to participate in institutional or national biobanks, mainly the UK Biobank and the Kaiser Permanente Research Bank, and those that have previously participated in studies that resulted in de-identified clinical and genetic data being make available on public archives, mainly the database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP)
  • No special populations (adults unable to consent, individuals not yet adults, pregnant women, or prisoners)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Observational (biobank review)
Patients' records from institutional or national biobanks are reviewed.
Other: Electronic Health Record Review
Biobank records are reviewed

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Association between germline genetic predictors (single nucleotide variants) of lower testosterone levels and dementia risk
Time Frame: Up to 2 years
Will utilize genetic variants associated with testosterone levels at genome-wide statistical significance thresholds (P < 5 x 10-8) in published meta-analyses. Will additionally conduct a genome-wide association study with testosterone values in the UK Biobank. Will construct a weighted genetic risk score based on the strength of each variant's association with testosterone levels in published datasets. The results of the weighted method will be scaled per standard deviation (SD) of testosterone levels so that effect sizes represent the odds ratio of the outcome (e.g. dementia) per genetically predicted SD decrease in testosterone levels. Will also utilize risk scores with less stringent significance thresholds in secondary analyses (P < 5 x 10-6).
Up to 2 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Depression
Time Frame: Up to 2 years
Association between low testosterone levels and depression will be examined. Will construct a weighted genetic risk score based on the strength of each variant's association with testosterone levels in published datasets. The results of the weighted method will be scaled per standard deviation (SD) of testosterone levels so that effect sizes represent the odds ratio of the outcome (e.g. dementia) per genetically predicted SD decrease in testosterone levels. Will also utilize risk scores with less stringent significance thresholds in secondary analyses (P < 5 x 10-6).
Up to 2 years
Anxiety
Time Frame: Up to 2 years
Association between low testosterone levels and anxiety will be examined. Will construct a weighted genetic risk score based on the strength of each variant's association with testosterone levels in published datasets. The results of the weighted method will be scaled per standard deviation (SD) of testosterone levels so that effect sizes represent the odds ratio of the outcome (e.g. dementia) per genetically predicted SD decrease in testosterone levels. Will also utilize risk scores with less stringent significance thresholds in secondary analyses (P < 5 x 10-6).
Up to 2 years
Cognitive/mental health
Time Frame: Up to 2 years
Association between low testosterone levels and cognitive/mental health will be examined. Will construct a weighted genetic risk score based on the strength of each variant's association with testosterone levels in published datasets. The results of the weighted method will be scaled per standard deviation (SD) of testosterone levels so that effect sizes represent the odds ratio of the outcome (e.g. dementia) per genetically predicted SD decrease in testosterone levels. Will also utilize risk scores with less stringent significance thresholds in secondary analyses (P < 5 x 10-6).
Up to 2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Kevin Nead, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 13, 2020

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
November 30, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
November 30, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 3, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 3, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 8, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 19, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 17, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2019-1061 (Other Identifier: M D Anderson Cancer Center)
  • NCI-2020-13782 (Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program))

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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