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  • Review Article
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Growth hormone and cognitive function

Nature Reviews Endocrinology volume 9, pages 357–365 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

Emerging data indicate that growth hormone (GH) therapy could have a role in improving cognitive function. GH replacement therapy in experimental animals and human patients counteracts the dysfunction of many behaviours related to the central nervous system (CNS). Various behaviours, such as cognitive behaviours related to learning and memory, are known to be induced by GH; the hormone might interact with specific receptors located in areas of the CNS that are associated with the functional anatomy of these behaviours. GH is believed to affect excitatory circuits involved in synaptic plasticity, which alters cognitive capacity. GH also has a protective effect on the CNS, as indicated by its beneficial effects in patients with spinal cord injury. Data collected from animal models indicates that GH might also stimulate neurogenesis. This Review discusses the mechanisms underlying the interactions between GH and the CNS, and the data emerging from animal and human studies on the relationship between GH and cognitive function. In this article, particular emphasis is given to the role of GH as a treatment for patients with cognitive impairment resulting from deficiency of the hormone.

Key Points

  • Growth hormone has profound effects on brain function in both humans and experimental animals; in humans, this effect is particularly seen in patients receiving growth hormone replacement therapy

  • Growth hormone receptors are present in the brain, particularly in areas of importance for cognition, as shown in humans and rodents

  • Treatment with growth hormone can improve certain components of cognition in growth-hormone-deficient individuals

  • The effects of growth hormone on cognitive function are mediated through interactions with the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor complex, which leads to an increase in long-term potentiation

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Figure 1: The NMDA receptor complex.
Figure 2: A proposed pathway of how GH interacts with excitatory circuits in the brain.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants from the Swedish Medical Research Council (Grant 9459) and from the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research.

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  1. Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, PO Box 591, Uppsala, S-751 24, Sweden

    Fred Nyberg & Mathias Hallberg

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  1. Fred Nyberg
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Both authors contributed equally to all aspects of this article.

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Correspondence to Fred Nyberg.

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Nyberg, F., Hallberg, M. Growth hormone and cognitive function. Nat Rev Endocrinol 9, 357–365 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2013.78

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