September 2024 in “Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology” In this review, the researchers reported that 5α-reductase inhibitors demonstrated neuroprotective effects and reduced dyskinesias in animal models of Parkinson's disease, suggesting their potential for repurposing to manage symptoms in men with PD.
March 2024 in “Journal of Endocrinological Investigation” This study on male rats found that finasteride treatment led to the differential expression of several genes in the hypothalamus and hippocampus, hinting at potential links to observed side effects like depression, anxiety, and cognitive disturbances.
January 2024 in “Journal of lipid research” In this study, finasteride was found to reduce cholesterol levels and delay atherosclerosis in LDL receptor-deficient mice, and men using finasteride reported lower cholesterol levels, suggesting potential cardiovascular benefits by improving lipid profiles.
December 2023 in “Expert Opinion on Drug Safety” This abstract raises concerns about the safety of finasteride, a medication often used for treating hair loss and prostate issues, due to emerging reports linking it to cognitive dysfunction.
December 2022 in “JAMA network open” This study found that men using 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors showed an increased risk for dementia shortly after starting treatment, which diminished over time, and a consistent association with depression, but no link to suicide.
September 2022 in “International Journal of Impotence Research” This study found that global online interest in finasteride and its sexual side effects significantly increased after the FDA issued safety warnings in 2011.
1 citations
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July 2022 in “Frontiers in Pharmacology” This study found that dutasteride may help prevent enteric neuronal damage in an animal model of Parkinson's disease, highlighting its potential for drug repurposing to address neuroinflammation.
November 2020 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” In this study, repeated finasteride administration was associated with decreased social interaction and cognitive deficits in male rats, potentially linked to changes in cholinergic system activity.
13 citations
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January 2020 in “Neuroscience” This study found that finasteride impaired object recognition memory and altered hippocampal dendritic structures in male 3xTg-AD mice, suggesting potential sex differences in Alzheimer's disease pathology.
7 citations
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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.
18 citations
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June 2017 in “Journal of the neurological sciences” In this study, the use of 5 alpha reductase inhibitors was associated with an increased risk of dementia during the first two years of treatment, but the risk was not significant with longer exposure.
58 citations
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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.
18 citations
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June 2016 in “Brain Research” Increasing TSPO in the brain may help improve memory problems.
11 citations
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August 2015 in “PLOS ONE” This study found that finasteride has selective effects on oxidative stress and acetylcholinesterase activity in different brain regions in rats with thioacetamide-induced hepatic encephalopathy.
69 citations
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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.
26 citations
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August 2014 in “PubMed” This study found that testosterone treatment in older hypogonadal men caused minor improvements in depressive symptoms and visuospatial memory, but overall, major cognitive benefits were not observed.
81 citations
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June 2014 in “American Journal of Men's Health” This study highlights that adverse effects from finasteride may persist in men after discontinuation, indicating a potential "post-finasteride syndrome.
73 citations
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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.
32 citations
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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.
66 citations
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January 2008 in “Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior” AC-5216 reduces anxiety in mice through neurosteroids affecting GABAA receptors.
77 citations
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October 2007 in “International Journal of Andrology” This study found that testosterone replacement, with or without finasteride, did not lead to significant cognitive improvements over 36 months in healthy older men without prior cognitive impairment.
99 citations
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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.
19 citations
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September 2006 in “Journal of Neurophysiology” In this study, researchers found that after reducing GABAergic inhibition in rats' auditory midbrain, the brain quickly compensates by increasing local neurosteroid synthesis to maintain balance in neural circuits.
