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The intensive research in the last years brought a lot of interesting evidence concerning the variety of effects of testosterone. The view on testosterone was thus substantially broadened. Except of generally known effects on morphology and sexual characteristics, its influence on cognitive characteristics, behavior, and intellect in both the prenatal and postnatal period gets to the foreground. The role of steroid hormones was unambiguously proved in many processes essential for the brain architecture and its functioning. The paper brings the overview of selected findings about testosterone organizing the brain in the prenatal period and activating its functioning in the postnatal period. The influence of testosterone is followed in the relation to diverse psychological, behavioral, and social characteristics. The overview focuses especially on summing up the knowledge about the influence of testosterone and its metabolism on selected cognitive characteristics (namely spatial and verbal abilities, systemization, empathy). It presents testosterone also as a possible etiological factor of intellect endowment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Testosterone level has an influence on cognitive functions, especially spatial abilities. The relationship is, however, bidirectional and brain activity also affects testosterone levels. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of an intensive 3D mental rotation task on testosterone levels in young healthy men and women. In the mental rotation task, men reached a higher top score (P=0.027) and total score (P=0.004) compared to women. In 8 out of 9 women (P=0.008) but not in men (P=0.129) testosterone levels decreased after one hour of mental rotation testing. A significant gender difference was shown (P<0.0001). In all women, plasma cortisol levels was significantly lower after testing (P=0.004). In men cortisol levels decreased in 7 out of 9 subjects (P=0.039). A significant gender difference was not found (P=0.19). No association was found in women between baseline testosterone levels and mental rotation total score (P=0.810). In men there was a positive correlation between baseline testosterone and mental rotation total score (P=0.015). A significant difference gender difference was seen in the association between testosterone and mental rotation score (P<0.05). Mental rotation stimuli caused significant changes in hormonal levels of testosterone and cortisol. A gender-specific response was detected in testosterone fluctuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]