Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2003 Jul;28(7):1003-8.
doi: 10.1023/a:1023246921127.

Estrogen and neurodegeneration

Sam Gandy  1
Affiliations
Review

Estrogen and neurodegeneration

Sam Gandy. Neurochem Res. 2003 Jul.

Abstract

Although estrogen is best known for its effects on the maturation and differentiation of the primary and secondary sex organs, increasing evidence suggests that its influence extends beyond this system, and its activity in the CNS may initiate, or influence our susceptibility to neurodegenerative decline. Estrogen has been proposed to act as a neuroprotectant at several levels, and it is probable that deprivation of estrogen as a result of menopause exposes the aging or diseased brain to several insults. In addition, estrogen deprivation is likely to initiate or enhance degenerative changes caused by oxidative stress, and to reduce the brain's ability to maintain synaptic connectivity and cholinergic integrity leading to the cognitive decline seen in aged and disease-afflicted individuals.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Science. 1988 May 13;240(4854):889-95 - PubMed
    1. J Neurochem. 1999 Apr;72(4):1552-63 - PubMed
    1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Feb 13;98(4):1952-7 - PubMed
    1. Stroke. 2000 Mar;31(3):738-43; discussion 744 - PubMed
    1. J Neurochem. 1999 Oct;73(4):1453-60 - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources