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Progesterone. It’s the hormone most frequently associated with ovulation and menstruation in women. But could progesterone also have another important function as well? Scientists are now testing the hypothesis that the chemical could actually help treat traumatic brain injuries in both men and women.
The study was launched after doctors discovered that progesterone may have the ability to reduce swelling in the brain and improve mental recovery after a traumatic brain injury. More than 1,200 patients will take part in the worldwide study, and results are expected to be released within two to three years.
If the hypothesis is correct, researchers believe that countless patients with serious head injuries could experience a significantly better outcome from treatment.
Traumatic brain injuries remain the leading cause of death in people below the age of 45, and leave countless people throughout the world with brain damage each year.
Doctors from the United States began linking progesterone to brain injuries in the 1980s when they noticed that women with brain injuries appeared to recover better than men, who have much lower levels of the hormone.
Traumatic brain injuries occur after blunt force to the head causes inflammation of the brain. The swelling of the brain in the hard skull can result in blood supply to the brain being cut off, which kills brain cells and leads to permanent brain damage.
A study published in 2008 suggested that when progesterone levels were highest in rats, the outcomes of brain injuries were much less severe, with less swelling and better functional recovery.
Depending on the results of the current study on humans, this could be a great medical advancement in the treatment of brain injuries.
Source: Daily Mail, “Can female sex hormones beat brain damage? Doctors believe progesterone may have protective effect,” Rachel Ellis, Jan. 16, 2012