In normally functioning individuals, HGH is essential for good cognition and brain health. In stroke patients, studies have found that growth hormone therapy may provide some benefits for recovery. In a 2018 study on mice, those that received HGH therapy following a stroke had better cognition and energy than those mice that received a placebo. HGH has neuroprotective benefits for the brain and promotes plasticity, which can all help with the repairing of nerve damage, the formation of new blood vessels, and the reversal of apoptosis – early cellular death