TLDR Finasteride raises suicide-linked aggression and stops clozapine's positive effects in schizophrenia animals.
The study found that finasteride, a drug used to treat hair loss, increased suicide-related aggressive behaviors and blocked the beneficial effects of clozapine, a medication used to treat schizophrenia, in an animal model of schizophrenia. The study suggests that neurosteroids may be involved in clozapine effects and suicide-related behaviors. The results suggest that finasteride may have negative effects on mental health and caution should be taken when prescribing it to patients with psychiatric disorders.
49 citations
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September 2015 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” 5α-reductase affects dopamine receptors linked to sensorimotor gating, which may help understand disorders like schizophrenia.
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May 2015 in “Schizophrenia Research” A drug improved schizophrenia-like symptoms in stressed rats by changing brain steroid levels.
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April 2015 in “Behavioural Brain Research” Finasteride worsens stress effects on sensory processes, possibly linking to anxiety/depression.
42 citations
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August 2012 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Finasteride reduces certain behaviors caused by D1-like receptor agonists but not by D2-like receptor agonists in mice.
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April 2007 in “Neuroscience” Finasteride reduces alcohol withdrawal severity in male mice but increases it in female mice.
137 citations
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March 2006 in “Cns Drug Reviews” Finasteride treats enlarged prostate and hair loss, but may cause side effects in some patients.
12 citations
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April 2018 in “Physiology & Behavior” Finasteride raises suicide-linked aggression and stops clozapine's positive effects in schizophrenia animals.
