Growth Hormone against stroke
According to the results obtained in experiments on mice by researchers at the University of Gothenburg, working under the guidance of Professor Jorgen Isgaard, the use of growth hormone after a stroke contributes to a better recovery of cognitive abilities and memory, as well as reducing fatigue in mice.
Treatment and rehabilitation after a stroke is a very difficult task both for the patients themselves and for their environment. In many cases, patients have to go through a long and complex process of restoring speech, memory, thinking abilities, concentration, motor skills, etc. Anxiety, restlessness and severe fatigue are also the consequences of a stroke.
Earlier studies have shown that growth hormone in general has a positive effect on cognitive function after brain damage. However, until recently, no one has studied its effect on the recovery processes after a stroke.
As part of the study, mice with a simulated stroke were injected with a growth hormone drug or placebo for four weeks. During the last week of therapy, the cognitive functions of the animals were tested individually in separate cells equipped with touch screens.
The animals were shown various combinations of symbols, the correct reproduction of which was rewarded with a sugar solution by pressing a paw on the touch screen. Mice receiving growth hormone injections performed the task correctly in 8 out of 10 cases, compared with 6 out of 10 cases for the control group.
After completing the experiment, the authors also analyzed the concentration of growth factors and biomarkers in the damaged region of the brain. The obtained data demonstrated that the administration of growth hormone provided an increase in the levels of markers in the brain tissue, indicating the formation of new blood vessels, the restoration of nerve fibers, their myelin sheaths and synapses, and a lower severity of damage to nerve tissue compared to the control group.
The researchers hope that in the near future they will be able to start a clinical study of the approach, as well as to study the possibility of a positive effect of growth hormone on the state of the brain when starting therapy some time after a stroke.
Article by Lin Kooi Ong et al. Growth Hormone Improves Cognitive Function After Experimental Stroke is published in the journal Stroke.
Evgenia Ryabtseva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of the University of Gothenburg: Growth hormone may provide new hope for stroke survivors.