April 2026 in “Journal of Clinical Medicine” Stopping finasteride can lead to lasting sexual and psychological issues.
September 2025 in “The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry” Finasteride may increase depression and suicide risks, needing better safety checks and informed consent.
111 citations
,
August 2015 in “Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders” 5α-reductase inhibitors may cause persistent sexual dysfunction and depression, needing more research on long-term effects.
63 citations
,
January 2010 in “Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience” 3α-androstanediol helps reduce age-related cognitive and mood declines in male rats, unlike testosterone.
44 citations
,
July 2012 in “Endocrine Practice” We need to learn more about 5α-reductases and neuroactive steroids to safely make drugs targeting these enzymes.
34 citations
,
August 2015 in “Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience” Allopregnanolone affects fear responses differently in male and female rats, possibly explaining sex differences in anxiety disorders.
26 citations
,
July 2012 in “Endocrine Connections” Mitotane changes steroid breakdown, affecting cortisol availability.
13 citations
,
February 2021 in “Brain Sciences” Androgens improve memory in adolescent male rats by acting on brain receptors.
8 citations
,
January 2022 in “BMC Biology” Environmental factors affect reproductive traits by altering the SRD5A1 gene.
5 citations
,
September 2021 in “Southern African Journal of Hiv Medicine” The guideline provides healthcare professionals in South Africa with instructions for comprehensive, multidisciplinary gender-affirming care, including HIV prevention and treatment for transgender and gender diverse individuals.
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.
December 2025 in “Current Issues in Molecular Biology” New steroid compounds may help with hormonal therapy and have potential benefits for glucose disorders, but more research is needed.
November 2023 in “Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology” Some people experience lasting sexual, psychological, and sleep problems after using finasteride or SSRI antidepressants, possibly due to similar underlying causes.
43 citations
,
December 2012 in “The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” Progesterone protects neurons from damage by converting to allopregnanolone, which works through GABAA receptors.
37 citations
,
February 2010 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Androgen self-administration might be controlled by membrane receptors, not nuclear ones.
21 citations
,
March 2018 in “JEADV. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology/Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors may help stabilize or slow down hair loss in some frontal fibrosing alopecia patients, but more research is needed to confirm their effectiveness and safety.
11 citations
,
April 2023 in “Skin Health and Disease” Psychological stress can worsen skin conditions like psoriasis and acne.
10 citations
,
July 2023 in “Pharmaceuticals” The gel with coral extract and pectin nanoparticles helps heal chronic wounds.
September 2025 in “Healthcare” SSRIs may help manage sexual behavior in dementia patients, but they can cause long-lasting sexual dysfunction.
March 2023 in “Translational Andrology and Urology” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, like finasteride and dutasteride, are used for prostate issues, hair loss, and excessive hair growth, may help with COVID-19, but can cause sexual and mental health side effects, and their use in preventing prostate cancer needs more examination.
October 2022 in “Biomolecules” Allopregnanolone can reduce gut inflammation and normalize neurotransmitter levels after finasteride withdrawal.
August 2023 in “Stem cell reviews and reports” 180 citations
,
June 2004 in “Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics” Progesterone's seizure-reducing effects are mainly due to allopregnanolone, not progesterone receptors.
136 citations
,
January 2004 in “Neuroscience” Testosterone increases seizure risk through its conversion to specific neurosteroids.
83 citations
,
January 2004 in “Pharmacology & Therapeutics” Adjusting neurosteroid levels may help reduce alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
65 citations
,
January 2011 in “Frontiers in Endocrinology” Neurosteroids show promise for treating epilepsy and more research is needed.
62 citations
,
January 2009 in “Epilepsia” Neurosteroid production in the brain may delay seizure onset.
61 citations
,
April 2018 in “Frontiers in endocrinology” Sex steroids produced in the hippocampus are crucial for brain functions like memory and learning in rodents.
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.
28 citations
,
October 2011 in “British Journal of Pharmacology” Midazolam's seizure prevention is partly due to increased neurosteroid production.