Latest News | Review Details Processes by Which Sex Hormones Affect Brain Health
Get latest articles and stories on Latest News at LatestLY. A review has detailed the varied mechanisms by which sex hormones -- involved in reproduction -- influence brain health, including a direct effect on neurons and by affecting how genes involved in brain function express themselves.
New Delhi, Feb 18 (PTI) A review has detailed the varied mechanisms by which sex hormones -- involved in reproduction -- influence brain health, including a direct effect on neurons and by affecting how genes involved in brain function express themselves.
Researchers, including those from McGill University, Canada, found that neurosteroids, which are derived from hormones produced in the brain, could have a significant potential for treating disorders of the nervous system.
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The review, published in the journal Brain Medicine, looked at a range of neurological conditions, including vascular disorders such as migraine and stroke, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, and sleep-related ones.
"Our understanding of how reproductive hormones impact neurological conditions has expanded dramatically. These hormones don't just affect reproductive functions -- they fundamentally influence how the nervous system develops, functions, and responds to injury or disease," author Hyman M. Schipper, a professor of neurology and medicine (geriatrics) at McGill University, said.
The researchers also found that hormonal changes in women during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause can substantially impact how disease develops and one's response to treatment.
Further, the study found sex-specific differences in neurological disorders, treatment of which would require approaches incorporating these differences.
The research also raised questions for future studies, such as how sex hormones are involved in clearing waste from the brain, and how hormone-based treatments could be optimised for individual patients, the authors said.
"The key is understanding exactly how these hormones work in different contexts. This knowledge could lead to more personalised treatment approaches," Schipper said. PTI
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)