Progesterone treatment improves cognitive outcome following experimental traumatic brain injury in rats.

Highlights: [•] High levels of COX-2 and caspase-3 and cognitive deficits were detected in injury. [•] Progesterone reduces the expressions of COX-2 and caspase-3 after brain injury. [•] Progesterone improves cognitive functional outcomes after brain injury. [•] The progesterone mechanism is associated with inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]