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Review
. 2008 Jul;107(1):201-14.
doi: 10.1213/ane.0b013e31817326a5.

Gender and the injured brain

Kamila Vagnerova  1 , Ines P Koerner, Patricia D Hurn
Affiliations
Review

Gender and the injured brain

Kamila Vagnerova et al. Anesth Analg. 2008 Jul.

Abstract

Anesthesiologists are frequently confronted with patients who are at risk for neurological complications due to perioperative stroke or prior traumatic brain injury. In this review, we address the growing and fascinating body of data that suggests gender and sex steroids influence the pathophysiology of injury and outcome for these patients. Cerebral ischemia, traumatic brain injury, and epilepsy are reviewed in the context of potential sex differences in mechanisms and outcomes of brain injury and the role of estrogen, progesterone, and androgens in shaping these processes. Lastly, implications for current and future perioperative and intensive care are identified.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Relevant estrogen signaling pathways in ischemic brain injury.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Progesterone effects in ischemic and traumatic brain injury.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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