40 citations
,
November 2020 in “JAMA Dermatology” This pharmacovigilance study found an increased association of suicidality and psychological adverse events with finasteride use, especially among younger patients using it for alopecia.
17 citations
,
September 2020 in “Journal of Endocrinological Investigation” This study found that the gut microbiota composition in patients with post-finasteride syndrome differs significantly from healthy controls, with reduced diversity and specific microbial changes, suggesting a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target.
9 citations
,
April 2020 in “The Journal of Urology” This study found that initiation of 5α-reductase inhibitors like finasteride is not associated with an increased risk of depression in veterans, suggesting depression may be linked to underlying health conditions instead.
30 citations
,
January 2020 in “Fertility and Sterility” This review discusses the evidence for post-finasteride syndrome as a condition potentially induced by finasteride and dutasteride, associating them with sexual dysfunction, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation in a subset of men, and reports no new clinical results.
20 citations
,
November 2019 in “Biomolecules” This study found that finasteride impaired stress reactivity and reduced exploratory and impulsive behaviors in rats, potentially by altering the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis function.
20 citations
,
August 2019 in “Expert Opinion on Drug Safety” This review examines the cognitive effects of medications for lower urinary tract symptoms and indicates that muscarinic antagonists, particularly oral oxybutynin, pose the highest risk for cognitive impairment.
8 citations
,
July 2019 in “Endocrine connections” This study found that post-finasteride syndrome patients showed a tissue-specific methylation pattern of the SRD5A2 promoter in cerebrospinal fluid, potentially affecting neuroactive steroid levels and related behavioral symptoms.
19 citations
,
March 2019 in “Behavioural Brain Research” This study found that repeated finasteride administration in male Wistar rats led to increased depression-like behavior, suggesting an animal model for investigating finasteride's neuropsychiatric effects is viable.
7 citations
,
January 2019 in “The Aging Male” This article discusses post-finasteride syndrome as a distinct syndrome related to prolonged use of 5α-steroid reductase inhibitors, noting persistent side effects even after discontinuation and no new research results are reported.
20 citations
,
October 2018 in “Clinical Drug Investigation” This study observed that men receiving dutasteride for benign prostatic hyperplasia did not show significant differences in neuropsychological assessments compared to a control group not on dutasteride.
37 citations
,
September 2018 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” This study found that finasteride treatment in male rats led to enduring effects on depressive-like behavior, hippocampal neurogenesis and neuroinflammation, and gut microbiota composition after withdrawal.
35 citations
,
June 2018 in “Urology” This study of FAERS data suggests that finasteride, particularly at the 1 mg dosage, is associated with a wide range of adverse effects not previously established in long-term studies, especially among younger men.
67 citations
,
March 2018 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” This study reported that estrogen-progestin oral contraceptives, antiandrogens, and insulin sensitizers are more effective than placebo in treating hirsutism in women, with combination therapies generally proving superior to monotherapy.
13 citations
,
December 2017 in “CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics” In this study, finasteride was found to inhibit the dopaminergic system and reduce open-field behaviors in adolescent male rats by decreasing dopamine levels and related proteins.
145 citations
,
November 2017 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” This guideline review by the European Dermatology Forum evaluates current treatments for androgenetic alopecia but reports no new research findings, aiming to assist dermatologists in selecting safe and effective therapies.
58 citations
,
April 2017 in “The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” This study found that patients with post-finasteride syndrome exhibited major depressive disorder, severe erectile dysfunction, and neuropathy, alongside altered neuroactive steroid levels in cerebrospinal fluid.
90 citations
,
March 2017 in “JAMA Internal Medicine” In this study, older men using 5α-reductase inhibitors for prostatic enlargement did not show increased risk of suicide, but had elevated risks of self-harm and depression.
14 citations
,
October 2016 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” This study identified significant changes in the expression of nine proteins in the nucleus accumbens of rats treated with finasteride, suggesting potential novel targets for its neuropsychiatric effects.
50 citations
,
September 2016 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” This study found no evidence of androgen deficiency or decreased peripheral androgen action in men with persistent sexual symptoms after finasteride use, but identified links to depressed mood and abnormal brain function.
31 citations
,
February 2016 in “American Journal of Men's Health” This study found that nearly half of men using finasteride reported clinically significant depression, highlighting the need for psychiatric screening and careful risk assessment by prescribing clinicians.
33 citations
,
December 2015 in “Neuroendocrinology” This study found that subchronic finasteride treatment in male rats altered neuroactive steroid levels and steroid receptor expression in the brain, with some changes persisting after drug withdrawal.
49 citations
,
September 2015 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” This study suggests that the 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride modulates sensorimotor gating in rats by affecting D1 and D3 receptors, but not D2 receptors, with varying effects based on genetic strain.
69 citations
,
July 2015 in “Pharmacotherapy” This study found that low-dose finasteride use in young men was associated with higher reporting of persistent sexual dysfunction, with some cases linked to suicidal ideation.
24 citations
,
May 2015 in “Schizophrenia Research” This study found that inhibiting the enzyme 5α-reductase with finasteride counteracted stress-induced prepulse inhibition deficits in socially isolated rats by altering neuroactive steroid concentrations in the brain.
6 citations
,
April 2015 in “Behavioural Brain Research” In this study, finasteride was found to potentiate stress-induced disruption in sensory gating of rats by neutralizing the increase in allopregnanolone levels after acute stress.
61 citations
,
April 2014 in “The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” This study reports that men with androgenic alopecia experience altered neuroactive steroid levels associated with persistent depression symptoms even after stopping finasteride treatment.
73 citations
,
July 2013 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” This study observed that androgenic alopecia patients taking finasteride had altered neuroactive steroid levels and persistent depression symptoms even after stopping the treatment.
42 citations
,
August 2012 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Finasteride reduces certain behaviors caused by D1-like receptor agonists but not by D2-like receptor agonists in mice.
134 citations
,
August 2012 in “The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry” This study found that former finasteride users with persistent sexual side effects reported significantly higher rates of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts compared to controls.
53 citations
,
October 2011 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Finasteride may help improve certain brain function issues linked to dopamine.
198 citations
,
October 2011 in “Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft” This article discusses the development of an evidence-based guideline for treating androgenetic alopecia and reports no new research results.
32 citations
,
May 2010 in “Pharmacopsychiatry” This article investigates whether finasteride influences adult hippocampal neurogenesis related to depression and reports no new clinical findings; the authors suggest further research on its neurosteroid inhibition.
64 citations
,
March 2008 in “Neuropsychopharmacology” 
225 citations
,
July 2007 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” In this study, patients informed about finasteride's potential sexual side effects reported a significantly higher occurrence of these side effects, suggesting a nocebo effect.
99 citations
,
October 2006 in “BMC clinical pharmacology” This preliminary study suggests that finasteride might cause depressive symptoms, indicating the need for cautious prescription in patients at high risk for depression.
137 citations
,
March 2006 in “Cns Drug Reviews” This review explores finasteride's effects on neuroactive steroid levels and their potential influence on disorders like depression and alcohol withdrawal but reports no new clinical findings.
88 citations
,
October 2002 in “Journal of Dermatology” In this study, 19 patients treated with finasteride for androgenetic alopecia developed moderate to severe depression, which resolved after stopping the medication, suggesting an association between finasteride and mood disturbances.
180 citations
,
September 1999 in “British Journal of Dermatology” This review discusses the psychological and social impacts of androgenetic alopecia and suggests that medical treatments can have some positive psychological effects, highlighting the condition's moderate stress and impact on body image.
