TLDR Finasteride may help improve certain brain function issues linked to dopamine.
The study investigated the effects of the 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride (FIN) on sensorimotor gating deficits induced by dopaminergic activation in rats, using a model of prepulse inhibition (PPI) deficits. A total of 448 male Sprague–Dawley rats were used. The findings indicated that FIN dose-dependently reversed PPI deficits primarily in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key area in the dopaminergic mesolimbic pathway, with a potential involvement of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). These results suggested that FIN's antipsychotic-like effects might be specifically related to dopaminergic neurotransmission, highlighting 5α-reductase as a potential therapeutic target for schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders. The study was supported by various grants, and no conflicts of interest were declared.
35 citations
,
April 2012 in “Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology” Finasteride reduces gambling symptoms in Parkinson's patients.
46 citations
,
May 2011 in “Movement Disorders” Finasteride reduces Tourette syndrome symptoms, but results may be limited due to potential biases.
48 citations
,
January 2011 in “Neuropharmacology” 
72 citations
,
January 2011 in “Current Pharmaceutical Design” S5αR inhibitors might help treat schizophrenia and other mental disorders but need more research.
17 citations
,
May 2008 in “Pharmacopsychiatry” Finasteride improved symptoms in a schizophrenia patient.
64 citations
,
March 2008 in “Neuropsychopharmacology” 
42 citations
,
December 2007 in “American Journal of Psychiatry” Finasteride may effectively reduce Tourette's syndrome symptoms and improve life quality.
47 citations
,
November 2002 in “Journal of Neurochemistry” Progesterone boosts alcohol's effect on brain, finasteride counters it.
83 citations
,
April 1992 in “Journal of Biological Chemistry” Four-amino acid part makes enzyme sensitive to finasteride.
24 citations
,
May 2015 in “Schizophrenia Research” A drug improved schizophrenia-like symptoms in stressed rats by changing brain steroid levels.
12 citations
,
June 2019 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Allopregnanolone is needed for certain brain processing issues caused by D1 dopamine receptor activation.
27 citations
,
January 2017 in “Neuropsychopharmacology” The enzyme 5α-reductase is key in causing psychotic-like effects from sleep deprivation.
49 citations
,
September 2015 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” 5α-reductase affects dopamine receptors linked to sensorimotor gating, which may help understand disorders like schizophrenia.
72 citations
,
January 2011 in “Current Pharmaceutical Design” S5αR inhibitors might help treat schizophrenia and other mental disorders but need more research.
