Does SHBG-bound TS cross blood-brain barrier?

[Bobbies]

Doctors will often say that free or bioavailable TS is what matters. But I wouldn't expect SHBG to prevent TS from crossing over the blood-brain barrier. This would be important to know for mental symptoms like depression, anxiety, and lack of assertiveness.

So there's the physiological part. Does anyone have any idea whether it's low free TS, or low total TS, that results in mental symptoms, from observation?

Thanks

[kelkel]

Free test. Total is irrelevant. Bound is bound, be it by SHBG or Albumin. And not everyone will suffer the same mental symptoms from either elevated or suppressed T levels. And as I'm sure you know reports run rampant on the mood enhancement effects of test as well as HCG.

This is deep:

Free Diffusion of Steroid Hormones Across Biomembranes: A Simplex Search with Implicit Solvent Model Calculations

[Bobbies]

Is bioavailable T any more important than free T? Usually, if total T is low, they will check free T, then bioavailable T. If there is low free and total T, but normal bioavailable T, do they still consider HRT?

[kelkel]

Not really. Bio T is just free T inclusive of what is loosely bound to albumin. Make your judgements based on Free T. No need to over complicate it.