142 citations,
January 2019 in “Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology” Postpartum depression is linked to changes in brain chemicals, inflammation, stress, and certain genes, and can potentially be identified by markers like specific steroids, serotonin levels, and vitamin D levels.
139 citations,
October 1999 in “Environmental Health Perspectives” Modern science supports the use of some Ayurvedic plants for health, as ancient practices suggested.
34 citations,
May 2007 in “Neuroscience” Finasteride reduces alcohol withdrawal severity in male mice but increases it in female mice.
32 citations,
February 2014 in “Psychopharmacology” Dutasteride makes alcohol less sedating and may lead to less drinking in men.
27 citations,
June 2013 in “Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research” Finasteride use may lead to less alcohol consumption in men with lasting sexual side effects.
26 citations,
September 2012 in “Epilepsy & Behavior” Finasteride worsens seizures in epilepsy rats and speeds up epileptogenesis in mice.
26 citations,
November 2006 in “Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior” Pregnancy reduces anxiety in rats, but finasteride reverses this effect.
26 citations,
November 1993 in “Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry” Treatment during development affects hormone balance and sexual behavior in male rats.
25 citations,
June 2017 in “Scientific reports” Stress worsens Tourette symptoms by increasing allopregnanolone levels.
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December 2019 in “Steroids” Finasteride and dutasteride reduce neurosteroid production, possibly helping treat glioblastoma.
18 citations,
March 2020 in “Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology” The enzymes 5α-reductase and 3α/β-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase help create brain-active substances from progesterone and testosterone, which could be used for treatment, but more research is needed to ensure their safety and effectiveness.
17 citations,
February 2014 in “The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology” 
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October 2016 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Finasteride affects brain processes related to neurotransmission and metabolism, potentially helping with neuropsychiatric conditions.
2 citations,
December 2019 in “Neurobiology of Stress” Changing allopregnanolone levels in baby rats affects their adult behavior and alcohol use.
1 citations,
January 2019 in “Elsevier eBooks” Neuroactive steroids may affect the risk and treatment of alcohol use disorders.
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August 2015 in “Current Sexual Health Reports” 5α-reductase inhibitors can cause serious and possibly lasting sexual and psychological side effects.
223 citations,
December 2010 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Some patients taking finasteride or dutasteride may have ongoing sexual problems and depression even after stopping the medication.
127 citations,
January 2013 in “PLOS ONE” Probiotic bacteria improved skin and hair health in aged mice.
112 citations,
July 2012 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Finasteride may cause long-lasting sexual side effects.
110 citations,
August 2015 in “Neuropsychopharmacology” High-dose dutasteride reduces PMDD symptoms by stabilizing neurosteroid levels.
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October 2006 in “BMC clinical pharmacology” Finasteride may cause slight depression and anxiety.
72 citations,
January 2011 in “Current Pharmaceutical Design” S5αR inhibitors might help treat schizophrenia and other mental disorders but need more research.
65 citations,
February 2015 in “Neuro-Oncology” Alisertib was found to be an effective and tolerable treatment for children with recurrent brain tumors.
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November 2018 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Lower levels of certain brain chemicals are linked to worse PTSD symptoms in men.
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October 2014 in “International Scholarly Research Notices” Eclipta alba has many health benefits and contains compounds with potential for drug development.
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March 2019 in “Journal of immunology research” Valproic Acid could potentially be used to treat immune-related conditions due to its ability to modify immune cell functions.
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December 2002 in “Journal of Neurochemistry” Progesterone boosts alcohol's effect on brain, finasteride counters it.
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August 2019 in “Journal of Ethnopharmacology” Eclipta prostrata has many traditional uses and health benefits, but more research is needed to understand how it works and ensure it's safe.
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September 2018 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Finasteride treatment in male rats causes long-lasting effects on depression-like behavior, brain cell growth, inflammation, and gut bacteria composition.
35 citations,
April 2013 in “Sexual medicine reviews” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors slightly increase the risk of sexual and mood side effects, and breast growth in men.