35 citations
,
January 2005 in “Brain Research” Progesterone's anesthetic effects don't rely on progesterone receptors.
32 citations
,
September 2010 in “Stress” Neurosteroids help protect fetal brains from asphyxia damage.
30 citations
,
February 2003 in “Annals of Neurology” Progesterone and related compounds may help control seizures linked to the menstrual cycle but have limitations that need addressing.
27 citations
,
January 2017 in “Neuropsychopharmacology” The enzyme 5α-reductase is key in causing psychotic-like effects from sleep deprivation.
27 citations
,
April 2008 in “Neuroscience Letters” Olanzapine reduces stress-related anxiety in rats when given acutely.
27 citations
,
April 2007 in “European Journal of Pharmacology” Progesterone increases alcohol tolerance and withdrawal anxiety, while DHEAS prevents them.
26 citations
,
July 2012 in “Epilepsy & Behavior” Finasteride worsens seizures in epilepsy rats and speeds up epileptogenesis in mice.
26 citations
,
November 2006 in “Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior” Pregnancy reduces anxiety in rats, but finasteride reverses this effect.
24 citations
,
July 2016 in “Steroids” Progesterone and testosterone protect brain cells from damage through specific pathways.
21 citations
,
September 2008 in “Brain Research” Neurosteroids in the brain can increase or decrease seizure risk in mice.
19 citations
,
June 2013 in “Journal of Neuroendocrinology” Neurosteroids may help prevent seizures and slow epilepsy progression.
19 citations
,
June 2006 in “Physiology & Behavior” Finasteride slows down motherly behavior in first-time pregnant rats.
18 citations
,
September 2021 in “Journal of Neuroendocrinology” Neurosteroids can influence behavior by modulating brain inhibition, with potential for treating psychiatric disorders.
18 citations
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June 2016 in “Brain Research” Increasing TSPO in the brain may help improve memory problems.
16 citations
,
September 2016 in “Neuropharmacology” Activating TSPO helps protect the retina from damage caused by high eye pressure in glaucoma.
16 citations
,
November 2011 in “Neuroscience Letters” Progesterone protects brain cells by converting to allopregnanolone and involving GABAA receptors.
12 citations
,
August 2018 in “Psychiatry research” Estazolam reduces anxiety-like behavior in PTSD by increasing allopregnanolone levels.
12 citations
,
February 2017 in “International journal of developmental neuroscience” Female guinea pigs exposed to less allopregnanolone before birth showed more anxiety-like behavior.
11 citations
,
November 2021 in “International journal of molecular sciences” Gut microbes significantly affect brain steroid levels.
11 citations
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December 2012 in “Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research” Ethanol withdrawal reduces the brain's response to certain calming steroids, making seizures harder to control.
11 citations
,
October 2010 in “Behavioural Brain Research” Early neurosteroid changes can alter adult brain function and behavior.
9 citations
,
May 2011 in “Hormones and Behavior” Allopregnanolone, a progesterone metabolite, helps reduce restraint effects on behavior.
7 citations
,
May 2017 in “Behavioural brain research” Changing neuroactive steroid levels early in life can affect how adult rats respond to alcohol's stimulating effects.
6 citations
,
January 2020 in “BMC Neuroscience” Male tissue has more cell death than female tissue after ischemia, and some neurosteroids only protect female cells.
6 citations
,
April 2015 in “Behavioural Brain Research” Finasteride worsens stress effects on sensory processes, possibly linking to anxiety/depression.
5 citations
,
January 2025 in “Science Advances” 5α-reductase 2 is crucial for stress response in male rats.
5 citations
,
October 2020 in “Brain Research Bulletin” Etifoxine, an anxiety drug, can lessen brain inflammation and cognitive issues in mice, partly by increasing production of protective brain steroids.
4 citations
,
January 2025 in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences” Progesterone reduces anxiety and depression in female mice by increasing BDNF in the brain, needing 5α-reduction and estradiol.
3 citations
,
October 2010 in “Epilepsy Currents” Altered metabolism can help control seizures by changing brain signaling and energy use, suggesting new treatments for epilepsy.
2 citations
,
July 2020 in “Behavioural Brain Research” Changing neuroactive steroids in baby male rats affects their memory and learning differently as they grow up.