Hormone Helps Brains Heal After Severe Stroke, Mouse Study Finds

Stroke is a leading cause of disability, with older individuals often facing the worst outcomes. To better model this, scientists studied the effects of a severe, permanent stroke in middle-aged mice, which are equivalent to humans aged 40-50.

The researchers found that administering melatonin before the stroke offered significant neuroprotection. The hormone, a powerful antioxidant, reduced the size of the damaged brain area, decreased neuron degeneration, and improved the mice's behavioural recovery.

Delving deeper, the team observed that melatonin boosted neuroplasticity—the brain’s inherent ability to rewire itself. It increased the density and branching of dendrites, the tree-like structures neurons use to communicate, in both the damaged and undamaged sides of the brain. Melatonin also reduced a biological marker of cellular ageing. These findings highlight melatonin's potential as a future therapy for aiding recovery from aging-related stroke.