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Review, 2010

Can neurosteroids help with anxiety and brain disorders?

The review suggests neurosteroids might help with anxiety, epilepsy, and depression, but clinical evidence is limited.

Moderate study design Not applicable; this is a review of research on neurosteroids.

What they did

Review article examining how neurosteroids work in the brain and their potential as treatments for various conditions.

What they found

Neurosteroids are made in the brain and control brain cell activity. Allopregnanolone has powerful anti-seizure activity. Different types regulate anxiety, stress, and memory. Some synthetic versions may help anxiety and depression without benzodiazepine side effects. Clinical trials with ganaxolone for epilepsy were encouraging.

What it means for you

Synthetic neurosteroids might become treatments for anxiety and depression in the future. However, this review mainly covers basic science and early clinical research. Larger clinical trials are still needed.

About the study

Original title
Neurosteroids: endogenous role in the human brain and therapeutic potentials
Authors
Reddy DS
Journal
Progress in brain research
Year
2010
Study design
Review
What was tested
None - this is a review article
Open access
Yes

Topics