Testosterone gel aids men with MS

A testosterone gel slowed brain deterioration and boosted thinking ability in men with multiple sclerosis, according to a small study showing a possible new way to treat the incurable disease.

Writing in the May issue of Archives of Neurology, UCLA researchers said the study was based on the fact that men develop the disease less frequently than women and the idea that the male sex hormone testosterone may be protective.

The men applied a testosterone gel to their shoulders daily for a year. Tests of cognitive -- the ability to think, learn and judge -- improved, and brain atrophy diminished to the level of normal aging, the study found.

The treated men also had increased muscle mass.

But the study involved only 10 men, and bigger studies are needed, the researchers cautioned.