32 citations
,
September 2010 in “Stress” Neurosteroids help protect fetal brains from asphyxia damage.
30 citations
,
May 2019 in “Scientific Reports” Late pregnancy helps repair brain damage in rats due to the GABAergic system.
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
,
March 2006 in “Endocrine, metabolic & immune disorders. Drug targets” This enzyme helps metabolize fatty acids and isoleucine, and could be key in treating neurological diseases and certain cancers.
24 citations
,
July 2016 in “Steroids” Progesterone and testosterone protect brain cells from damage through specific pathways.
21 citations
,
January 2020 in “General and Comparative Endocrinology” Lack or blocking of SRD5a, a key component in hormone creation, can lead to conditions like pseudohermaphrodism and affect hair growth, bone mass, muscle strength, and reproductive health. More research is needed on its regulation from fertilization to adulthood.
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
,
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
,
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.