MINI REVIEW article
Front. Behav. Neurosci.
Sec. Behavioral Endocrinology
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1644615
This article is part of the Research TopicSex hormones and emotional learning: implications for mood and cognitive disordersView all articles
Neurosteroids: A Lifelong Impact on Brain Health
Provisionally accepted- Neuroscience Department, School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, United States
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Neurosteroids are critical regulators of brain function, exerting profound effects on neurodevelopment, emotional regulation, cognition, and resilience to stress across the lifespan. Synthesized endogenously in the brain and peripheral tissues, neurosteroids modulate neural circuits through both genomic and non-genomic mechanisms. This review synthesizes current evidence on the roles of neurosteroids from fetal development through advanced biological aging, emphasizing their involvement in neuronal plasticity, synaptic modulation, myelination, and neurogenesis. We explore how neurosteroid dysregulation contributes to mood and cognitive disorders and highlight age-and sex-related changes in neurosteroid synthesis which may impact risk. Lifestyle factors including diet, exercise, and mindfulness are also examined for their ability to modulate neurosteroidogenesis and promote brain health. By integrating findings across developmental stages and physiological states, we underscore the functional roles of neurosteroids as modulators of emotional and cognitive states across the lifespan, and advocate for deeper investigation into neurosteroid-based intervention for across indications and throughout the lifespan.
Keywords: Neurosteroids, Allopregnanolone, development, Aging, Exercise
Received: 11 Jun 2025; Accepted: 15 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Walton and Maguire. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jamie Maguire, jamie.maguire@tufts.edu
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