Why do some females recover from brain injury much faster and more completely than males?1 With more than 3 million people chronically disabled from traumatic brain injury, the answer may have far-reaching implications for the treatment of traumatic brain injury, stroke, and other neurological disorders.
For the past twenty-five years, neuroscientist Donald G. Stein, PhD and his colleagues have been investigating this question and have discovered something remarkable—that the hormone progesterone confers profound neuroprotective effects that improve outcomes and reduce mortality following brain injuries. These findings may be relevant to research on treatments for a variety of other conditions affecting the central nervous system, including stroke, spinal cord injury, and multiple sclerosis.
Progesterone provides powerful neuroprotection to the fetus, particularly in late pregnancy, when it helps suppress neuronal excitation that can damage delicate new brain tissue.
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Chapter: Health ::
22 January 2010
