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.
23 citations
,
January 2019 in “International Journal of Dermatology” This review found that while finasteride may improve female pattern hair loss and hirsutism in women, more long-term studies are needed to optimize its use and assess potential consequences.
13 citations
,
September 2018 in “Dermatologic Therapy” This study reports that while topical minoxidil treatment showed a response in less than 40% of men after 24 weeks, oral finasteride stopped hair loss in over 80% of patients at 12 months; perceived sexual side effects of the latter may limit its use.
10 citations
,
May 2018 in “Neuropharmacology” This study suggests that inhibitors of steroidogenic enzymes may have therapeutic potential for certain behavioral disorders linked to dopaminergic hyperfunction, despite concerns about their endocrine impacts.
61 citations
,
April 2018 in “Frontiers in endocrinology” This review discusses the local production and role of sex steroids in the hippocampal neurons of adult rodents and reports no new experimental findings.
25 citations
,
June 2017 in “Scientific reports” This study suggests that stress may worsen Tourette syndrome symptoms in mice by increasing allopregnanolone synthesis, with findings supporting finasteride as a potential treatment to manage symptom fluctuations.
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.
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.
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.
35 citations
,
April 2012 in “Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology” Finasteride reduces gambling symptoms in Parkinson's patients.
46 citations
,
May 2011 in “Movement Disorders” This article contains additional supporting information available online but presents no new research findings.
45 citations
,
August 2010 in “Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation” This study found that SRD5a-3 is a highly efficient enzyme for converting hormones into androgens, with dutasteride being a much more potent inhibitor of SRD5a-3 than SRD5a-2.
219 citations
,
October 2009 in “Steroids” 5α-reductase inhibitors, like Finasteride and Dutasteride, help manage benign prostatic hyperplasia.
9 citations
,
January 2009 in “PubMed” This study found that finasteride treatment in men with benign prostate hyperplasia significantly altered steroid hormone profiles and may contribute to depressive symptoms by affecting neuroactive steroid levels.
64 citations
,
March 2008 in “Neuropsychopharmacology” 
61 citations
,
January 2008 in “Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin” In this study, finasteride dose-dependently inhibited stress-induced increases in allopregnanolone in rats, while enhancing 20alpha-reduction of progesterone without affecting 3alpha-dihydroprogesterone or 11-deoxycorticosterone levels.
15 citations
,
March 2007 in “Hormones and Behavior” Finasteride boosts morphine's pain relief, stops tolerance, and reduces withdrawal in rats.
65 citations
,
October 1999 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” In this study, finasteride doses as low as 0.2 mg per day significantly reduced both scalp skin and serum DHT levels in men with androgenetic alopecia.
56 citations
,
April 1998 in “Steroids” Finasteride reduces hair loss and treats BPH without major hormone changes, but may cause sexual dysfunction.
93 citations
,
January 1996 in “Clinical Pharmacokinectics” Finasteride helps regrow hair and shrink prostate by reducing DHT, with some sexual side effects.
70 citations
,
June 1993 in “Biochemistry” This study found that the binding of finasteride to the enzyme 5a-reductase occurs at a slower rate than previously assumed, complicating the estimation of its real inhibitory constant.
