SynthesisSpinal cord2026
The role of sex hormones in neurological and functional recovery following spinal cord injury in females: a systematic review of the literature.
Synthesis in Spinal cord, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
STUDY
designSystematic review.
objectiveTo synthesize human and animal evidence on the potential neuroprotective effects of sex hormones in women with spinal cord injury (SCI) and in female animal models, with the aim of comparing findings across experimental and clinical studies and identifying gaps in clinical research.
methodsEMBASE, Medline, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Web of Science were searched from inception to August 22, 2025, without language restrictions. Two reviewers independently performed study screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment.
resultsOf 2832 screened records, 26 studies were included (23 preclinical and 3 clinical). Human evidence was scarce and primarily addressed functional recovery after acute SCI, as well as cardiovascular risk factors and bone outcomes in small cohorts of pre- and postmenopausal women with chronic SCI. Preclinical studies consistently demonstrated broad neuroprotective effects of estradiol across multiple outcomes. Inhibition of estrogen synthesis with letrozole was associated with impaired motor recovery, while the presence of intact ovaries was linked to improved sensory outcomes, supporting a protective role of endogenous estrogens. Evidence for progesterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) was mixed, although DHEA showed promising effects in two of three studies, including improved motor and sensory recovery and tissue preservation.
conclusionThis review highlights the therapeutic potential of sex hormones in SCI recovery while also revealing substantial gaps in human research. Future studies should investigate endogenous hormone profiles and hormone-based interventions during the acute and subacute phases of SCI to guide therapeutic development and bridge the gap between animal models and clinical practice.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.