A stress hormone may help the brain repair itself
Research at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry revealed that oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) multiply around brain injuries in mice. These cells can mature into oligodendrocytes, which produce myelin essential for neuron communication. The study also found that a stress hormone, corticotropin-releasing hormone, activates a third of these OPCs, suggesting a novel mechanism for brain repair.