
Human growth hormone (HGH) therapy is mostly associated with treatments for idiopathic short stature and age-related decline. In recent years, however, medical researchers have conducted studies about the potential of HGH to improve memory, focus, and learning. One study by the University of São Paulo researchers detected somatostatin in regulating selective memory function. In another study, researchers in Australia confirmed that HGH therapy was effective in reducing the loss of neural tissue after a stroke.
Both studies highlight the vital role that growth hormone plays in terms of promoting healthy brain function. Somatostatin is a peptide linked to the pituitary gland’s optimal release of growth hormones. These studies are part of a growing body of research into the hormonal mechanisms that support the optimal growth of neurons linked to memory and learning.
With the above in mind, let’s take a closer look at the role of hormones in brain function:
Estrogen and Testosterone
The central nervous system is often described as a complex series of circuits regulating vital processes ranging from moods to feelings and behavior to cognition. Over the last two decades, medical educators have been shifting away from the circuitry analogy to more factual descriptions of biochemistry. For this reason, it is more accurate to describe hormones as neurochemical messengers carried by the bloodstream to tissues and organs.
The glands of the endocrine system produce hormones. They regulate many vital processes, such as sleep, growth, metabolism, sexual development, memory, and attention. Insulin, for example, is a hormone that regulates glucose (blood sugar) levels. Adrenaline produces boosts of energy during dynamic stressful situations. Estrogen and testosterone are mostly known as the main hormones promoting sexual development, but they also play key roles in the modulation of brain function.
The estradiol female sex hormone, also known as estrogen, stimulates the production of fresh neurons, a neurochemical process called neurogenesis. This process happens in the hippocampus, a brain region crucial for assimilating and remembering new concepts. Clinical research strongly suggests that estrogen promotes the growth of neurites, which promote neuron connectivity.
Like estrogen, testosterone also promotes neurogenesis; however, the process is more intricate because it relies on androgen-dependent pathways that spark a conversion process. Testosterone may convert into estrogen or dihydrotestosterone for adequate neuron production, depending on the brain region.
Cortisol
The isolation and identification of the neurochemical compounds E and F in 1935 was recognized with a Nobel Prize in 1950. Since then, research into the properties and functions of compound F, more commonly known as cortisol, has intrigued many neuroscientists. What is known thus far about this hormone is only the tip of the iceberg; nonetheless, researchers have determined that cortisol is crucial in forming memories during intensely emotional and stressful events.
Along with adrenaline, cortisol helps us manage emergencies and difficult situations through short-term learning and quick reactions. If you are constantly exposed to unmanageable stress, your cortisol levels will rise to unhealthy levels that cause silent hypertension, cellular deterioration, brain fog, memory loss, and attention deficit. Alleviating stress is the best method to keep cortisol levels in check. Still, the long-term harmful effects of elevated cortisol levels call for biochemical treatments such as growth hormone therapy.
Human Growth Hormone
Somatotropin, more commonly known as recombinant human growth hormone, is the hormone that promotes the neurogenesis and modulation of cortisol, estrogen, testosterone, and other hormones that should optimally flow during cognitive processes. To a certain extent, HGH is like a nutrient that fuels hormone function; it is crucial for learning and acquiring new skills and regulates neurotransmitter levels to improve focus, attention, and concentration.
HGH levels naturally decline with age; this process often contributes to cognitive decline and should ideally unfold gradually. Somatotropin deficiency can accelerate dementia and other conditions that disrupt cognition. Normally, the flow of growth hormones is adjusted according to demand. Let’s say you are studying and preparing for an exam; ideally, somatotropin levels will gradually increase as you learn new concepts, understand them, and put them into practice. If you are anxious about the test, cortisol levels will also rise, but the flow of growth hormone would modulate the release of cortisol so that it doesn’t become harmful.
HGH Therapy For Brain Health
Many patients who undergo growth hormone treatment report improvements in cognitive function a few weeks after therapy starts. Some of the improvements include:
- Sharper focus
- Better memory recall and retention
- Less frustration
- Reduced confusion
- Easier emotional management
In clinical studies that monitor HGH results after 1 month, many patients tested for brain function showed strong improvement. These patients combined their growth hormone intake with physical exercise, optimal sleep hygiene, relaxation for stress management, and a balanced diet.
Current research supports the concept of addressing cognitive decline with growth hormone therapy. When a somatotropin deficiency causes cortisol levels to rise for prolonged periods, modulation through HGH treatment is recommended by many physicians. This applies to hormonal deficiencies caused by aging, trauma, or chronic health conditions. It is important to note that growth hormone treatment is not a silver bullet to address somatotropin deficiency; it is invariably more effective when patients adopt healthy habits to lower cortisol levels.