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Cheng TW, Mills KL, Pfeifer JH. Revisiting adolescence as a sensitive period for sociocultural processing. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105820. [PMID: 39032845 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Waves of research and public discourse have characterized adolescence as periods of developmental risk and opportunity. Underlying this discussion is the recognition that adolescence is a period of major biological and social transition when experience may have an outsized effect on development. This article updates and expands upon prior work suggesting that adolescence may be a sensitive period for sociocultural processing specifically. By integrating evidence from developmental psychology and neuroscience, we identify how trajectories of social and neurobiological development may relate to adolescents' ability to adapt to and learn from their social environments. However, we also highlight gaps in the literature, including challenges in attributing developmental change to adolescent experiences. We discuss the importance of better understanding variability in biology (e.g., pubertal development) and cultural environments, as well as distinguishing between sensitive periods and periods of heightened sensitivity. Finally, we look toward future directions and translational implications of this research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa W Cheng
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 1227 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1227, USA; Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland St., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Kathryn L Mills
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 1227 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1227, USA.
| | - Jennifer H Pfeifer
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 1227 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1227, USA.
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Grotzinger H, Pritschet L, Shapturenka P, Santander T, Murata EM, Jacobs EG. Diurnal Fluctuations in Steroid Hormones Tied to Variation in Intrinsic Functional Connectivity in a Densely Sampled Male. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1856232024. [PMID: 38627091 PMCID: PMC11140665 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1856-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Most of mammalian physiology is under the control of biological rhythms, including the endocrine system with time-varying hormone secretion. Precision neuroimaging studies provide unique insights into how the endocrine system dynamically regulates aspects of the human brain. Recently, we established estrogen's ability to drive widespread patterns of connectivity and enhance the global efficiency of large-scale brain networks in a woman sampled every 24 h across 30 consecutive days, capturing a complete menstrual cycle. Steroid hormone production also follows a pronounced sinusoidal pattern, with a peak in testosterone between 6 and 7 A.M. and nadir between 7 and 8 P.M. To capture the brain's response to diurnal changes in hormone production, we carried out a companion precision imaging study of a healthy adult man who completed MRI and venipuncture every 12-24 h across 30 consecutive days. Results confirmed robust diurnal fluctuations in testosterone, 17β-estradiol-the primary form of estrogen-and cortisol. Standardized regression analyses revealed widespread associations between testosterone, estradiol, and cortisol concentrations and whole-brain patterns of coherence. In particular, functional connectivity in the Dorsal Attention Network was coupled with diurnally fluctuating hormones. Further, comparing dense-sampling datasets between a man and a naturally cycling woman revealed that fluctuations in sex hormones are tied to patterns of whole-brain coherence in both sexes and to a heightened degree in the male. Together, these findings enhance our understanding of steroid hormones as rapid neuromodulators and provide evidence that diurnal changes in steroid hormones are associated with patterns of whole-brain functional connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Grotzinger
- Departments of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106
| | - Laura Pritschet
- Departments of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106
| | - Pavel Shapturenka
- Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106
| | - Tyler Santander
- Departments of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106
| | - Elle M Murata
- Departments of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106
| | - Emily G Jacobs
- Departments of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106
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Barth C, Crestol A, de Lange AMG, Galea LAM. Sex steroids and the female brain across the lifespan: insights into risk of depression and Alzheimer's disease. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2023; 11:926-941. [PMID: 37865102 DOI: 10.1016/s2213-8587(23)00224-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Despite widespread sex differences in prevalence and presentation of numerous illnesses affecting the human brain, there has been little focus on the effect of endocrine ageing. Most preclinical studies have focused on males only, and clinical studies often analyse data by covarying for sex, ignoring relevant differences between the sexes. This sex- (and gender)-neutral approach is biased and contributes to the absence of targeted treatments and services for all sexes (and genders). Female health has been historically understudied, with grave consequences for their wellbeing and health equity. In this Review, we spotlight female brain health across the lifespan by informing on the role of sex steroids, particularly oestradiol, on the female brain and on risk for diseases more prevalent in females, such as depression and Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Barth
- Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Arielle Crestol
- Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ann-Marie G de Lange
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Liisa A M Galea
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Grotzinger H, Pritschet L, Shapturenka P, Santander T, Murata E, Jacobs EG. Diurnal fluctuations in steroid hormones tied to variation in intrinsic functional connectivity in a densely sampled male. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.16.562607. [PMID: 37905054 PMCID: PMC10614853 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.16.562607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Most of mammalian physiology is under the control of biological rhythms, including the endocrine system with time-varying hormone secretion. Precision neuroimaging studies provide unique insights into the means through which our endocrine system regulates dynamic properties of the human brain. Recently, we established estrogen's ability to drive widespread patterns of connectivity and enhance the functional efficiency of large-scale brain networks in a woman sampled every 24h across 30 consecutive days, capturing a complete menstrual cycle. Steroid hormone production also follows a pronounced sinusoidal pattern, with a peak in testosterone between 6-7am and nadir between 7-8pm. To capture the brain's response to diurnal changes in hormone production, we carried out a companion precision imaging study of a healthy adult man who completed MRI and venipuncture every 12-24 hours across 30 consecutive days. Results confirmed robust diurnal fluctuations in testosterone, cortisol, and estradiol. Standardized regression analyses revealed predominantly positive associations between testosterone, cortisol, and estradiol concentrations and whole-brain patterns of coherence. In particular, functional connectivity in Dorsal Attention and Salience/Ventral Attention Networks were coupled with diurnally fluctuating hormones. Further, comparing dense-sampling datasets between a man and naturally-cycling woman revealed that fluctuations in sex hormones are tied to patterns of whole-brain coherence to a comparable degree in both sexes. Together, these findings enhance our understanding of steroid hormones as rapid neuromodulators and provide evidence that diurnal changes in steroid hormones are tied to patterns of whole-brain functional connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Grotzinger
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
| | - Laura Pritschet
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
| | - Pavel Shapturenka
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
| | - Tyler Santander
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
| | - Elle Murata
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
| | - Emily G. Jacobs
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
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Murray SB, Diaz-Fong JP, Duval CJ, Balkchyan AA, Nagata JM, Lee DJ, Ganson KT, Toga AW, Siegel SJ, Jann K. Sex differences in regional gray matter density in pre-adolescent binge eating disorder: a voxel-based morphometry study. Psychol Med 2023; 53:6077-6089. [PMID: 36305572 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722003269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Binge eating disorder (BED) is a pernicious psychiatric disorder which is linked with broad medical and psychiatric morbidity, and obesity. While BED may be characterized by altered cortical morphometry, no evidence to date examined possible sex-differences in regional gray matter characteristics among those with BED. This is especially important to consider in children, where BED symptoms often emerge coincident with rapid gray matter maturation. METHODS Pre-adolescent, 9-10-year old boys (N = 38) and girls (N = 33) with BED were extracted from the 3.0 baseline (Year 0) release of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. We investigated sex differences in gray matter density (GMD) via voxel-based morphometry. Control sex differences were also assessed in age and body mass index and developmentally matched control children (boys N = 36; girls N = 38). Among children with BED, we additionally assessed the association between dorsolateral prefrontal (dlPFC) GMD and parent-reported behavioral approach and inhibition tendencies. RESULTS Girls with BED uniquely demonstrate diffuse clusters of greater GMD (p < 0.05, Threshold Free Cluster Enhancement corrected) in the (i) left dlPFC (p = 0.003), (ii) bilateral dmPFC (p = 0.004), (iii) bilateral primary motor and somatosensory cortex (p = 0.0003) and (iv) bilateral precuneus (p = 0.007). Brain-behavioral associations suggest a unique negative correlation between GMD in the left dlPFC and behavioral approach tendencies among girls with BED. CONCLUSIONS Early-onset BED may be characterized by regional sex differences in terms of its underlying gray matter morphometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart B Murray
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joel P Diaz-Fong
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christina J Duval
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ane A Balkchyan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jason M Nagata
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Darrin J Lee
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- USC Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kyle T Ganson
- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Arthur W Toga
- USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steven J Siegel
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kay Jann
- USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Yoshii S, Takatani T, Shiohama T, Takatani R, Konda Y, Hattori S, Yokota H, Hamada H. Brain structure alterations in girls with central precocious puberty. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1215492. [PMID: 37547150 PMCID: PMC10398388 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1215492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Central precocious puberty (CPP) is puberty that occurs at an unusually early age with several negative psychological outcomes. There is a paucity of data on the morphological characteristics of the brain in CPP. This study aimed to determine the structural differences in the brain of patients with CPP. Methods We performed voxel- and surface-based morphometric analyses of 1.5 T T1-weighted brain images scanned from 15 girls with CPP and 13 age-matched non-CPP controls (NC). All patients with CPP were diagnosed by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were evaluated using Levene's test for equality of variances and a two-tailed unpaired t-test for equality of means. False discovery rate correction for multiple comparisons was applied using the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure. Results Morphometric analyses of the brain scans identified 33 candidate measurements. Subsequently, increased thickness of the right precuneus was identified in the patients with CPP using general linear models and visualizations of cortical thickness with a t-statistical map and a random field theory map. Conclusion The brain scans of the patients with CPP showed specific morphological differences to those of the control. The features of brain morphology in CPP identified in this study could contribute to further understanding the association between CPP and detrimental psychological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoko Yoshii
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tomozumi Takatani
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tadashi Shiohama
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Rieko Takatani
- Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yutaka Konda
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shinya Hattori
- Department of Radiology, Chiba University Hospital, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hajime Yokota
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Radiation Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hiromichi Hamada
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
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Byrne ML, Vijayakumar N, Chavez SJ, Flournoy JC, Cheng TW, Mills KL, Barendse MEA, Mobasser A, Flannery JE, Nelson BW, Wang W, Shirtcliff EA, Allen NB, Pfeifer JH. Associations between multi-method latent factors of puberty and brain structure in adolescent girls. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101228. [PMID: 36934604 PMCID: PMC10031110 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Pubertal processes are associated with structural brain development, but studies have produced inconsistent findings that may relate to different measurements of puberty. Measuring both hormones and physical characteristics is important for capturing variation in neurobiological development. The current study explored associations between cortical thickness and latent factors from multi-method pubertal data in 174 early adolescent girls aged 10-13 years in the Transitions in Adolescent Girls (TAG) Study. Our multi-method approach used self-reported physical characteristics and hormone levels (dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), testosterone (T), and estradiol (E2) from saliva) to estimate an overall pubertal factor and for each process of adrenarche and gonadarche. There were negative associations between the overall puberty factor representing later stage and thickness in the posterior cortex, including the occipital cortices and extending laterally to the parietal lobe. However, the multi-method latent factor had weaker cortical associations when examining the adnearcheal process alone, suggesting physical characteristics and hormones capture different aspects of neurobiological development during adrenarche. Controlling for age weakened some of these associations. These findings show that associations between pubertal stage and cortical thickness differ depending on the measurement method and the pubertal process, and both should be considered in future confirmatory studies on the developing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L Byrne
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton VIC, Australia; Department of Psychology, the University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA.
| | - Nandita Vijayakumar
- Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, VIC, Australia; Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | | | - John C Flournoy
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Theresa W Cheng
- Psychiatric & Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kathryn L Mills
- Department of Psychology, the University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA; PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Marjolein E A Barendse
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of California Davis, CA, USA
| | - Arian Mobasser
- Department of Psychology, the University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | | | | | - Wen Wang
- Department of Psychology, the University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | | | - Nicholas B Allen
- Department of Psychology, the University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
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Kovacs-Balint ZA, Raper J, Richardson R, Gopakumar A, Kettimuthu KP, Higgins M, Feczko E, Earl E, Ethun KF, Li L, Styner M, Fair D, Bachevalier J, Sanchez MM. The role of puberty on physical and brain development: A longitudinal study in male Rhesus Macaques. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101237. [PMID: 37031512 PMCID: PMC10114189 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This study examined the role of male pubertal maturation on physical growth and development of neurocircuits that regulate stress, emotional and cognitive control using a translational nonhuman primate model. We collected longitudinal data from male macaques between pre- and peri-puberty, including measures of physical growth, pubertal maturation (testicular volume, blood testosterone -T- concentrations) and brain structural and resting-state functional MRI scans to examine developmental changes in amygdala (AMY), hippocampus (HIPPO), prefrontal cortex (PFC), as well as functional connectivity (FC) between those regions. Physical growth and pubertal measures increased from pre- to peri-puberty. The indexes of pubertal maturation -testicular size and T- were correlated at peri-puberty, but not at pre-puberty (23 months). Our findings also showed ICV, AMY, HIPPO and total PFC volumetric growth, but with region-specific changes in PFC. Surprisingly, FC in these neural circuits only showed developmental changes from pre- to peri-puberty for HIPPO-orbitofrontal FC. Finally, testicular size was a better predictor of brain structural maturation than T levels -suggesting gonadal hormones-independent mechanisms-, whereas T was a strong predictor of functional connectivity development. We expect that these neural circuits will show more drastic pubertal-dependent maturation, including stronger associations with pubertal measures later, during and after male puberty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z A Kovacs-Balint
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - J Raper
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Dept. of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - R Richardson
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - A Gopakumar
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - K P Kettimuthu
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - M Higgins
- Office of Nursing Research, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - E Feczko
- Dept. of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA; Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA
| | - E Earl
- Dept. of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - K F Ethun
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - L Li
- Dept. of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Marcus Autism Center; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - M Styner
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
| | - D Fair
- Dept. of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA; Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA
| | - J Bachevalier
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - M M Sanchez
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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Dehestani N, Whittle S, Vijayakumar N, Silk TJ. Developmental brain changes during puberty and associations with mental health problems. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101227. [PMID: 36933272 PMCID: PMC10036507 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Our understanding of the mechanisms relating pubertal timing to mental health problems via brain development remains rudimentary. METHOD Longitudinal data was sourced from ∼11,500 children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (age 9-13years). We built models of "brain age" and "puberty age" as indices of brain and pubertal development. Residuals from these models were used to index individual differences in brain development and pubertal timing, respectively. Mixed-effects models were used to investigate associations between pubertal timing and regional and global brain development. Mediation models were used to investigate the indirect effect of pubertal timing on mental health problems via brain development. RESULTS Earlier pubertal timing was associated with accelerated brain development, particularly of subcortical and frontal regions in females and subcortical regions in males. While earlier pubertal timing was associated with elevated mental health problems in both sexes, brain age did not predict mental health problems, nor did it mediate associations between pubertal timing and mental health problems. CONCLUSION This study highlights the importance of pubertal timing as a marker associated with brain maturation and mental health problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niousha Dehestani
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia.
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia
| | - Nandita Vijayakumar
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia; Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Timothy J Silk
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia; Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville 3052, Australia.
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Godfrey JR, Howell BR, Mummert A, Shi Y, Styner M, Wilson ME, Sanchez M. Effects of social rank and pubertal delay on brain structure in female rhesus macaques. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 149:105987. [PMID: 36529113 PMCID: PMC9931669 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Adverse social experience during childhood and adolescence leads to developmental alterations in emotional and stress regulation and underlying neurocircuits. We examined the consequences of social subordination (low social rank) in juvenile female rhesus monkeys, as an ethologically valid model of chronic social stressor exposure, on brain structural and behavioral development through the pubertal transition. Adolescence is a developmental period of extensive brain remodeling and increased emotional and stress reactivity. Puberty-induced increases in gonadal hormones, particularly estradiol (E2), are likely involved due to its organizational effects on the brain and behavior. Thus, we also examined how experimentally delaying pubertal onset with Lupron (gonadotropin releasing hormone -GnRH- agonist used clinically to delay early puberty) interacted with social rank (dominant vs. subordinate) to affect brain and behavioral outcomes. Using a longitudinal experimental design, structural MRI (sMRI) scans were collected on socially housed juvenile female rhesus monkeys living in indoor-outdoor enclosures prior to the onset of puberty (18-25 months), defined as menarche or the initial occurrence of perineal swelling and coloration, and again at 29-36 months, when all control animals had reached puberty but none of the Lupron-treated had. We examined the effects of both social rank and pubertal delay on overall structural brain volume (i.e. intracranial, grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes), as well as on cortico-limbic regions involved in emotion and stress regulation: amygdala (AMYG), hippocampus (HC), and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Measures of stress physiology, social behavior, and emotional reactivity were collected to examine functional correlates of the brain structural effects. Apart from expected developmental effects, subordinates had bigger AMYG volumes than dominant animals, most notably in the right hemisphere, but pubertal delay with Lupron-treatment abolished those differences, suggesting a role of gonadal hormones potentiating the brain structural impact of social stress. Subordinates also had elevated baseline cortisol, indicating activation of stress systems. In general, Lupron-treated subjects had smaller AMYG and HC volume than controls, but larger total PFC (driven by bigger GM volumes), and different, region-specific, developmental patterns dependent on age and social rank. These findings highlight a region-specific effect of E2 on structural development during female adolescence, independent of those due to chronological age. Pubertal delay and AMYG volume, in turn, predicted differences in emotional reactivity and social behavior. These findings suggest that exposure to developmental increases in E2 modifies the consequences of adverse social experience on the volume of cortico-limbic regions involved in emotional and stress regulation during maturation. But, even more importantly, they indicate different brain structural effects of chronological age and pubertal developmental stage in females, which are very difficult to disentangle in human studies. These findings have additional relevance for young girls who experience prolonged pubertal delays or for those whose puberty is clinically arrested by pharmacological administration of Lupron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi R Godfrey
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Brittany R Howell
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Emory University, 12 Executive Park Drive NE #200, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, 2 Riverside Circle, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA; Department of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Tech, 366 Wallace Hall, 295 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Amanda Mummert
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 1557 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Yundi Shi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, 352 Medical School Wing C, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Martin Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, 352 Medical School Wing C, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Mark E Wilson
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Emory University, 12 Executive Park Drive NE #200, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Mar Sanchez
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Emory University, 12 Executive Park Drive NE #200, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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11
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Zwaan IS, Felmingham K, Vijayakumar N, Patton G, Mundy L, Byrne ML, Simmons J, Whittle S. Estradiol variability is associated with brain structure in early adolescent females. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 146:105943. [PMID: 36162183 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
One-third of adolescents are diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder by age 16, with female adolescents twice as likely to experience an internalizing (i.e., depression or anxiety) disorder as their male peers. Individual differences in pubertal factors may partially underlie this disparity, potentially via the role of pubertal hormones in shaping brain development. While research has examined links between estradiol levels and brain structure, individual variation in estradiol levels has not been considered. Using longitudinal data from 44 female adolescents (baseline age M = 11.7; follow-up age M= 13.3), we examined associations between both average estradiol and estradiol variability, and brain gray matter structure at baseline. We used a hypothesis-driven region of interest (ROI) approach focusing on subcortical and ventromedial prefrontal regions, in addition to an exploratory whole-brain analysis. We also investigated whether brain structure mediated the association between estradiol measures and internalizing (i.e., anxious and depressive) symptoms at follow-up. ROI analyses revealed a significant negative association between estradiol variability and thickness of the right medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC, β = -0.39, FDR corrected p = .010). There were, however, no significant associations between average estradiol or estradiol variability and internalizing symptoms, nor was there evidence of mediation. Our results indicate that increased variation in estradiol levels across a month is associated with decreased cortical thickness in a brain region implicated in emotion processing, although implications for mental health are unclear. Findings, however, highlight the importance of considering individual variation in estradiol when examining links to brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel S Zwaan
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Kim Felmingham
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nandi Vijayakumar
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Australia
| | - George Patton
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Australia; Centre for Adolescent Health, The Royal Children's Hospital, Australia
| | - Lisa Mundy
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Australia
| | - Michelle L Byrne
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Australia
| | - Julian Simmons
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Australia
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12
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Galván A. Adolescent Brain Development and Contextual Influences: A Decade in Review. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2021; 31:843-869. [PMID: 34820955 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by substantial psychological, biological, and neurobiological changes. This review discusses the past decade of research on the adolescent brain, as based on the overarching framework that development is a dynamic process both within the individual and between the individual and external inputs. As such, this review focuses on research showing that the development of the brain is influenced by multiple ongoing and dynamic elements. It highlights the implications this body of work on behavioral development and offers areas of opportunity for future research in the coming decade.
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13
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The effects of puberty and its hormones on subcortical brain development. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2021; 7:100074. [PMID: 35757051 PMCID: PMC9216456 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Puberty triggers a period of structural “re-organization” in the brain, when rising hormone levels act via receptors to influence morphology. However, our understanding of these neuroendocrine processes in humans remains poor. As such, the current longitudinal study characterized development of the human subcortex during puberty, including changes in relation to pubertal (Tanner) stage and hormone (testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone [DHEA]) levels. Beyond normative group-level patterns of development, we also examined whether individual differences in the rate of pubertal maturation (i.e., “pubertal/hormonal tempo”) were associated with variations in subcortical trajectories. Participants (N = 192; scans = 366) completed up to three waves of MRI assessments between 8.5 and 14.5 years of age. Parents completed questionnaire assessments of pubertal stage at each wave, and adolescents provided hormone samples on a subset of waves. Generalized additive mixture models were used to characterize trajectories of subcortical development. Results showed that development of most subcortical structures was related to pubertal stage, although findings were mostly non-significant when controlling for age. Testosterone and DHEA levels were related to development of the amygdala, hippocampus and pallidum in both sexes, and findings in the amygdala remained significant when controlling for age. Additionally, we found that variability in hormonal (specifically testosterone) tempo was related to right hippocampal development in males, with an accelerated pattern of hippocampal development in those with greater increases in testosterone levels. Overall, our findings suggest prominent hormonal influences on the amygdala and hippocampus, consistent with the prevalence of androgen and estrogen receptors in these regions. We speculate that these findings are most likely reflective of the important role of adrenarcheal processes on adolescent brain development. There are widespread associations between physical and hormonal indices of puberty and subcortical development. Effects of testosterone and DHEA are strongest in the amygdala, hippocampus and pallidum. Individual differences in the tempo of rising testosterone are related to variability in hippocampal development in males.
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14
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Ando A, Parzer P, Kaess M, Schell S, Henze R, Delorme S, Stieltjes B, Resch F, Brunner R, Koenig J. Calendar age and puberty-related development of regional gray matter volume and white matter tracts during adolescence. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:927-937. [PMID: 33471191 PMCID: PMC7981330 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02208-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Background Adolescence is a critical time for brain development. Findings from previous studies have been inconsistent, failing to distinguish the influence of pubertal status and aging on brain maturation. The current study sought to address these inconsistencies, addressing the trajectories of pubertal development and aging by longitudinally tracking structural brain development during adolescence. Methods Two cohorts of healthy children were recruited (cohort 1: 9–10 years old; cohort 2: 12–13 years old at baseline). MRI data were acquired for gray matter volume and white matter tract measures. To determine whether age, pubertal status, both or their interaction best modelled longitudinal data, we compared four multi-level linear regression models to the null model (general brain growth indexed by total segmented volume) using Bayesian model selection. Results Data were collected at baseline (n = 116), 12 months (n = 97) and 24 months (n = 84) after baseline. Findings demonstrated that the development of most regional gray matter volume, and white matter tract measures, were best modelled by age. Interestingly, precentral and paracentral regions of the cortex, as well as the accumbens demonstrated significant preference for the pubertal status model. None of the white matter tract measures were better modelled by pubertal status. Limitations: The major limitation of this study is the two-cohort recruitment. Although this allowed a faster coverage of the age span, a complete per person trajectory over 6 years of development (9–15 years) could not be investigated. Conclusions Comparing the impact of age and pubertal status on regional gray matter volume and white matter tract measures, we found age to best predict longitudinal changes. Further longitudinal studies investigating the differential influence of puberty status and age on brain development in more diverse samples are needed to replicate the present results and address mechanisms underlying norm-variants in brain development. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00429-020-02208-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayaka Ando
- Section for Experimental Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Blumenstr. 8, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Parzer
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Kaess
- University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Section for Translational Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Susanne Schell
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Romy Henze
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Evangelisches Krankenhaus Königin Elisabeth Herzberge, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Delorme
- Department of Radiology, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bram Stieltjes
- Department of Radiology, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Universitätsspital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Franz Resch
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Romuald Brunner
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Julian Koenig
- Section for Experimental Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Blumenstr. 8, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany. .,University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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15
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Zhou L, Chen T, Wang Y, Fu Y, Xie X, Liu X, Chen W, Yan Z, Liu P. Influence of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis reactivation and pubertal hormones on gray matter volume in early pubertal girls. Int J Neurosci 2020; 131:946-952. [PMID: 32448012 DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2020.1763342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Puberty is a sensitive period of brain development accompany with pubertal hormones fluctuation. However, the underlying mechanisms of the impact of hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis reactivation and associated elevated pubertal hormones on brain structure are still unclear. Here, we investigated the brain structure differences between girls with and without HPG axis reactivation and the influence of pubertal hormones on these brain regions. METHODS 126 girls aged 8-9.5 years underwent a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test to identify the HPG axis status and categorized into HPG+ group (n = 80) and HPG- group (n = 46). T1-weighted gradient echo three dimensional MRI was performed using a 3.0-Tesla scanner to assess the difference in GMV between the two groups. Correlation analyses were conducted to explore the relations between the brain regions showing significant GMV differences and serum hormone concentrations. RESULT The HPG+ group showed significantly higher GMV in the bilateral lingual gyrus and lower GMV within the right orbital inferior frontal gyrus compare to the HPG - group. Furthermore, GMV in the right orbital inferior frontal gyrus was positively associated with plasma concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in HPG+ group. CONCLUSION The present study suggests that the reactivated HPG axis could affects regional structural brain changes in early pubertal girls. FSH production play an important role in bilateral lingual gyrus, which are involved in vision processing, semantic processing and emotional expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Zhou
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuchuan Fu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaoling Xie
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaozheng Liu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.,China-USA Neuroimaging Research Institute, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhihan Yan
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Peining Liu
- Child Healthcare Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children' Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
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16
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Laube C, van den Bos W, Fandakova Y. The relationship between pubertal hormones and brain plasticity: Implications for cognitive training in adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 42:100753. [PMID: 32072931 PMCID: PMC7005587 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence may mark a sensitive period for the development of higher-order cognition through enhanced plasticity of cortical circuits. At the same time, animal research indicates that pubertal hormones may represent one key mechanism for closing sensitive periods in the associative neocortex, thereby resulting in decreased plasticity of cortical circuits in adolescence. In the present review, we set out to solve some of the existing ambiguity and examine how hormonal changes associated with pubertal onset may modulate plasticity in higher-order cognition during adolescence. We build on existing age-comparative cognitive training studies to explore how the potential for change in neural resources and behavioral repertoire differs across age groups. We review animal and human brain imaging studies, which demonstrate a link between brain development, neurochemical mechanisms of plasticity, and pubertal hormones. Overall, the existent literature indicates that pubertal hormones play a pivotal role in regulating the mechanisms of experience-dependent plasticity during adolescence. However, the extent to which hormonal changes associated with pubertal onset increase or decrease brain plasticity may depend on the specific cognitive domain, the sex, and associated brain networks. We discuss implications for future research and suggest that systematical longitudinal assessments of pubertal change together with cognitive training interventions may be a fruitful way toward a better understanding of adolescent plasticity. As the age of pubertal onset is decreasing across developed societies, this may also have important educational and clinical implications, especially with respect to the effects that earlier puberty has on learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinna Laube
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Yana Fandakova
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.
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17
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Maggioni E, Squarcina L, Dusi N, Diwadkar VA, Brambilla P. Twin MRI studies on genetic and environmental determinants of brain morphology and function in the early lifespan. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 109:139-149. [PMID: 31911159 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Neurodevelopment represents a period of increased opportunity and vulnerability, during which a complex confluence of genetic and environmental factors influences brain growth trajectories, cognitive and mental health outcomes. Recently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies on twins have increased our knowledge of the extent to which genes, the environment and their interactions shape inter-individual brain variability. The present review draws from highly salient MRI studies in young twin samples to provide a robust assessment of the heritability of structural and functional brain changes during development. The available studies suggest that (as with many other traits), global brain morphology and network organization are highly heritable from early childhood to young adulthood. Conversely, genetic correlations among brain regions exhibit heterogeneous trajectories, and this heterogeneity reflects the progressive, experience-related increase in brain network complexity. Studies also support the key role of environment in mediating brain network differentiation via changes of genetic expression and hormonal levels. Thus, rest- and task-related functional brain circuits seem to result from a contextual and dynamic expression of heritability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Maggioni
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, via F. Sforza 28, Milano, Italy
| | - Letizia Squarcina
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, via Don Luigi Monza 20, Bosisio Parini, LC, Italy
| | - Nicola Dusi
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, via F. Sforza 28, Milano, Italy
| | - Vaibhav A Diwadkar
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, 42 W Warren Ave, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, via F. Sforza 28, Milano, Italy; Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
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18
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Fu Y, Zhang W, Tao B, Yang B, Yang D, Xie X, Liu P, Zhu Y, Zhou L, Chen T, Liu X, Yan Z. Gray Matter Differences Between Premature Pubertal Girls With and Without the Reactivation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:784. [PMID: 32848948 PMCID: PMC7432114 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The onset of puberty and related hormones exerts significant effects on brain morphometric and psychosocial development. The biological mechanisms underlying how the reactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and puberty-related hormonal maturation sculpts human brain architecture remain elusive. To address this question, 105 premature pubertal girls (age 8-11 years) without menstruation underwent brain structural scanning on a 3T MR system, and the luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) stimulation test was used to identify the reactivation of the HPG axis. Among the 105 girls, 63 were positive for HPG axis reactivation (HPG+), while the others showed negative (HPG-). Cortical thickness was calculated and compared between the two groups after adjusting for age. The brain regions showing inter-group differences were then extracted and correlated with the peak value of serum hormone after the LHRH stimulation test in entire sample. Compared to HPG- girls, HPG+ girls showed reduced cortical thickness mainly in the the right precuneus, right inferior temporal gyrus, and right superior frontal gyrus, while increased cortical thickness primarily in the left superior parietal lobe and right inferior parietal lobe. Linear-regression analysis revealed negative correlations between the cortical thickness of the right inferior parietal lobe with the peak value of FSH and the right precuneus with LH and E. These findings provide evidence to support the notion that the reactivation of HPG axis and changes of hormones during the early phase of hormonal maturation exert influences on the development of gray matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchuan Fu
- Department of Radiology, Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Wenjing Zhang
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Tao
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Beisheng Yang
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Di Yang
- Department of Radiology, Zhejiang Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoling Xie
- Department of Radiology, Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Peining Liu
- Department of Child Health Care, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yaxin Zhu
- Department of Radiology, Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Lu Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Department of Radiology, Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xiaozheng Liu
- Department of Radiology, Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhihan Yan
- Department of Radiology, Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
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19
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Altered Brain Structure and Functional Connectivity Associated with Pubertal Hormones in Girls with Precocious Puberty. Neural Plast 2019; 2019:1465632. [PMID: 31933625 PMCID: PMC6942889 DOI: 10.1155/2019/1465632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pubertal hormones play an important role in brain and psychosocial development. However, the role of abnormal HPG axis states in altering brain function and structure remains unclear. The present study is aimed at determining whether there were significant differences in gray matter volume (GMV) and resting state (RS) functional connectivity (FC) patterns in girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty (CPP) and peripheral precocious puberty (PPP). We further explored the correlation between these differences and serum pubertal hormone levels. To assess this, we recruited 29 idiopathic CPP girls and 38 age-matched PPP girls. A gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test was performed, and pubertal hormone levels (including luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2), prolactin, and cortisol) were assessed. All subjects underwent multimodal magnetic resonance imaging of brain structure and function. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis was paired with seed-to-voxel whole-brain RS-FC analysis to calculate the GMV and RS-FC in idiopathic CPP and PPP girls. Correlation analyses were used to assess the effects of pubertal hormones on brain regions with structural and functional differences between the groups. We found that girls with CPP exhibited decreased GMV in the left insula and left fusiform gyrus, while connectivity between the left and right insula and the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG), as well as the left fusiform gyrus and right amygdala, was reduced in girls with CPP. Furthermore, the GMV of the left insula and peak FSH levels were negatively correlated while higher basal and peak E2 levels were associated with increased bilateral insula RS-FC. These findings suggest that premature activation of the HPG axis and pubertal hormone fluctuations alter brain structure and function involved in the cognitive and emotional process in early childhood. These findings provide vital insights into the early pathophysiology of idiopathic CPP.
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20
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Goddings AL, Beltz A, Peper JS, Crone EA, Braams BR. Understanding the Role of Puberty in Structural and Functional Development of the Adolescent Brain. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2019; 29:32-53. [PMID: 30869842 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, there has been a tremendous increase in our understanding of structural and functional brain development in adolescence. However, understanding the role of puberty in this process has received much less attention. This review examines this relationship by summarizing recent research studies where the role of puberty was investigated in relation to brain structure, connectivity, and task-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The studies together suggest that puberty may contribute to adolescent neural reorganization and maturational advancement, and sex differences also emerge in puberty. The current body of work shows some mixed results regarding impact and exact direction of pubertal influence. We discuss several limitations of current studies and propose future directions on how to move the field forward.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jiska S Peper
- Leiden University
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition
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21
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Yang D, Zhang W, Zhu Y, Liu P, Tao B, Fu Y, Chen Y, Zhou L, Liu L, Gao X, Liu X, Rubin LH, Sweeney JA, Yan Z. Initiation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis in Young Girls Undergoing Central Precocious Puberty Exerts Remodeling Effects on the Prefrontal Cortex. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:332. [PMID: 31133903 PMCID: PMC6524415 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Central precocious puberty (CPP) has been shown to exert significant effects on psychosocial development. These early puberty-related hormones and psychosocial functional changes are considered to be associated with specific brain development. However, the biological mechanisms underlying the sculpting of human brain architecture and modulation of psychosocial transformation by puberty-related hormonal maturation remain elusive, especially during the early phase of CPP. The current investigation aims to specify the brain regions in which early hormone-related maturation effects occur during CPP and their relationships with psychological functions. 65 young girls (aged 4.3-8.0 years) underwent structural imaging on a 3T MR system, completed psychological tests and performed the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test to identify hormonal manifestations of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG axis) activation. Based on the GnRH test, 28 young girls were identified with CPP, whereas the other 37 girls were identified with non-central precocious puberty (NCPP). Cortical parameters were calculated and compared between the two groups after adjusting for age, weight, and height. Brain regions showing group differences were extracted and correlated with serum hormone levels and psychological parameters. The CPP girls showed thinner cortices primarily in the right rostral middle frontal cortex. This morphological difference was positively correlated with stimulated estradiol (E2) levels. Further, higher E2 levels were significantly associated with higher hyperactivity scores. Premature HPG axis activation in CPP girls at an early stage appears to exert remodeling effects on brain anatomy, primarily in the prefrontal cortex, which may affect psychological development following the emergence of robust changes in sex hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Yang
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,Department of Radiology, Zhejiang Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wenjing Zhang
- Department of Radiology, the Center for Medical Imaging, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yaxin Zhu
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Peining Liu
- Department of Child Health Care, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Bo Tao
- Department of Radiology, the Center for Medical Imaging, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuchuan Fu
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Lu Zhou
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Lu Liu
- Department of Radiology, the Center for Medical Imaging, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xin Gao
- Department of Radiology, the Center for Medical Imaging, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Radiology, People's Hospital of Deyang City, Deyang, China
| | - Xiaozheng Liu
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Leah H Rubin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - John A Sweeney
- Department of Radiology, the Center for Medical Imaging, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Zhihan Yan
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
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22
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Peters AT, Burkhouse KL, Kujawa A, Afshar K, Fitzgerald KD, Monk CS, Hajcak G, Phan KL. Impact of pubertal timing and depression on error-related brain activity in anxious youth. Dev Psychobiol 2019; 61:69-80. [PMID: 30043447 PMCID: PMC6318038 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are associated with enhanced error-related negativity (ERN) across development but it remains unclear whether alterations in brain electrophysiology are linked to the timing of puberty. Pubertal timing and alterations of prefrontal and limbic development are implicated in risk for depression, but the interplay of these factors on the ERN-anxiety association has not been assessed. We examined the unique and interactive effects of pubertal timing and depression on the ERN in a sample of youth 10-19 years old with anxiety disorders (n = 30) or no history of psychopathology (n = 30). Earlier pubertal maturation was associated with an enhanced ERN. Among early, but not late maturing youth, higher depressive symptoms were associated with a reduced ERN. The magnitude of neural reactivity to errors is sensitive to anxiety, depression, and development. Early physical maturation and anxiety may heighten neural sensitivity to errors yet predict opposing effects in the context of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy T. Peters
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, 1747 W Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL, 60608
| | - Katie L. Burkhouse
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, 1747 W Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL, 60608
| | - Autumn Kujawa
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Psychology and Human Development, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203
| | - Kaveh Afshar
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, 1747 W Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL, 60608
| | - Kate D. Fitzgerald
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry, 1500 E Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Christopher S. Monk
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry, 1500 E Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychology, 530 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Greg Hajcak
- Florida State University, Department of Psychology and Biomedical Sciences, 1107 W. Call Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306
| | - K. Luan Phan
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, 1747 W Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL, 60608
- University of Illinois-Chicago, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology & Graduate Program in Neuroscience, 840 S Wood St, Chicago, IL 60612
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23
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Vijayakumar N, Op de Macks Z, Shirtcliff EA, Pfeifer JH. Puberty and the human brain: Insights into adolescent development. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 92:417-436. [PMID: 29972766 PMCID: PMC6234123 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2018] [Revised: 06/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Alongside the exponential flourish of research on age-related trajectories of human brain development during childhood and adolescence in the past two decades, there has been an increase in the body of work examining the association between pubertal development and brain maturation. This review systematically examines empirical research on puberty-related structural and functional brain development in humans, with the aim of identifying convergent patterns of associations. We emphasize longitudinal studies, and discuss pervasive but oft-overlooked methodological issues that may be contributing to inconsistent findings and hindering progress (e.g., conflating distinct pubertal indices and different measurement instruments). We also briefly evaluate support for prominent models of adolescent neurodevelopment that hypothesize puberty-related changes in brain regions involved in affective and motivational processes. For the field to progress, replication studies are needed to help resolve current inconsistencies and gain a clearer understanding of pubertal associations with brain development in humans, knowledge that is crucial to make sense of the changes in psychosocial functioning, risk behavior, and mental health during adolescence.
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24
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Yip SW, Potenza MN. Application of Research Domain Criteria to childhood and adolescent impulsive and addictive disorders: Implications for treatment. Clin Psychol Rev 2018; 64:41-56. [PMID: 27876165 PMCID: PMC5423866 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2014] [Revised: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative provides a large-scale, dimensional framework for the integration of research findings across traditional diagnoses, with the long-term aim of improving existing psychiatric treatments. A neurodevelopmental perspective is essential to this endeavor. However, few papers synthesizing research findings across childhood and adolescent disorders exist. Here, we discuss how the RDoC framework may be applied to the study of childhood and adolescent impulsive and addictive disorders in order to improve neurodevelopmental understanding and to enhance treatment development. Given the large scope of RDoC, we focus on a single construct highly relevant to addictive and impulsive disorders - initial responsiveness to reward attainment. Findings from genetic, molecular, neuroimaging and other translational research methodologies are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah W Yip
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.
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25
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Koenis MM, Brouwer RM, Swagerman SC, van Soelen IL, Boomsma DI, Hulshoff Pol HE. Association between structural brain network efficiency and intelligence increases during adolescence. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39:822-836. [PMID: 29139172 PMCID: PMC6866576 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence represents an important period during which considerable changes in the brain take place, including increases in integrity of white matter bundles, and increasing efficiency of the structural brain network. A more efficient structural brain network has been associated with higher intelligence. Whether development of structural network efficiency is related to intelligence, and if so to which extent genetic and environmental influences are implicated in their association, is not known. In a longitudinal study, we mapped FA-weighted efficiency of the structural brain network in 310 twins and their older siblings at an average age of 10, 13, and 18 years. Age-trajectories of global and local FA-weighted efficiency were related to intelligence. Contributions of genes and environment were estimated using structural equation modeling. Efficiency of brain networks changed in a non-linear fashion from childhood to early adulthood, increasing between 10 and 13 years, and leveling off between 13 and 18 years. Adolescents with higher intelligence had higher global and local network efficiency. The dependency of FA-weighted global efficiency on IQ increased during adolescence (rph =0.007 at age 10; 0.23 at age 18). Global efficiency was significantly heritable during adolescence (47% at age 18). The genetic correlation between intelligence and global and local efficiency increased with age; genes explained up to 87% of the observed correlation at age 18. In conclusion, the brain's structural network differentiates depending on IQ during adolescence, and is under increasing influence of genes that are also associated with intelligence as it develops from late childhood to adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marinka M.G. Koenis
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of PsychiatryUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Rachel M. Brouwer
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of PsychiatryUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Suzanne C. Swagerman
- Department of Biological PsychologyVrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Inge L.C. van Soelen
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of PsychiatryUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
- Department of Biological PsychologyVrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Dorret I. Boomsma
- Department of Biological PsychologyVrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Hilleke E. Hulshoff Pol
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of PsychiatryUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
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26
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Klipker K, Wrzus C, Rauers A, Boker SM, Riediger M. Within-person changes in salivary testosterone and physical characteristics of puberty predict boys' daily affect. Horm Behav 2017; 95:22-32. [PMID: 28754307 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2016] [Revised: 07/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Recent investigations highlighted the role of within-person pubertal changes for adolescents' behavior. Yet, little is known about effects on adolescents' daily affect, particularly regarding the hormonal changes underlying physical changes during puberty. In a study with 148 boys aged 10 to 20years, we tested whether within-person physical and hormonal changes over eight months predicted everyday affect fluctuations, measured with experience sampling. As expected, greater within-person changes in testosterone (but not in dehydroepiandrosterone) were associated with higher affect fluctuations in daily life. Additionally, greater physical changes predicted higher affect fluctuations for individuals in the beginning of puberty. The findings demonstrate the relevance of physical and hormonal changes in boys' affective (in)stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Klipker
- Max Planck Research Group "Affect Across the Lifespan", Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Cornelia Wrzus
- Max Planck Research Group "Affect Across the Lifespan", Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Antje Rauers
- Max Planck Research Group "Affect Across the Lifespan", Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Steven M Boker
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, United States
| | - Michaela Riediger
- Max Planck Research Group "Affect Across the Lifespan", Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
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27
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Prefrontal mechanisms of comorbidity from a transdiagnostic and ontogenic perspective. Dev Psychopathol 2017; 28:1147-1175. [PMID: 27739395 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579416000742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating behavioral and genetic research suggests that most forms of psychopathology share common genetic and neural vulnerabilities and are manifestations of a relatively few core underlying processes. These findings support the view that comorbidity mostly arises, not from true co-occurrence of distinct disorders, but from the behavioral expression of shared vulnerability processes across the life span. The purpose of this review is to examine the role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in the shared vulnerability mechanisms underlying the clinical phenomena of comorbidity from a transdiagnostic and ontogenic perspective. In adopting this perspective, we suggest complex transactions between neurobiologically rooted vulnerabilities inherent in PFC circuitry and environmental factors (e.g., parenting, peers, stress, and substance use) across development converge on three key PFC-mediated processes: executive functioning, emotion regulation, and reward processing. We propose that individual differences and impairments in these PFC-mediated functions provide intermediate mechanisms for transdiagnostic symptoms and underlie behavioral tendencies that evoke and interact with environmental risk factors to further potentiate vulnerability.
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28
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Ziegler G, Ridgway GR, Blakemore SJ, Ashburner J, Penny W. Multivariate dynamical modelling of structural change during development. Neuroimage 2017; 147:746-762. [PMID: 27979788 PMCID: PMC5315058 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Revised: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Here we introduce a multivariate framework for characterising longitudinal changes in structural MRI using dynamical systems. The general approach enables modelling changes of states in multiple imaging biomarkers typically observed during brain development, plasticity, ageing and degeneration, e.g. regional gray matter volume of multiple regions of interest (ROIs). Structural brain states follow intrinsic dynamics according to a linear system with additional inputs accounting for potential driving forces of brain development. In particular, the inputs to the system are specified to account for known or latent developmental growth/decline factors, e.g. due to effects of growth hormones, puberty, or sudden behavioural changes etc. Because effects of developmental factors might be region-specific, the sensitivity of each ROI to contributions of each factor is explicitly modelled. In addition to the external effects of developmental factors on regional change, the framework enables modelling and inference about directed (potentially reciprocal) interactions between brain regions, due to competition for space, or structural connectivity, and suchlike. This approach accounts for repeated measures in typical MRI studies of development and aging. Model inversion and posterior distributions are obtained using earlier established variational methods enabling Bayesian evidence-based comparisons between various models of structural change. Using this approach we demonstrate dynamic cortical changes during brain maturation between 6 and 22 years of age using a large openly available longitudinal paediatric dataset with 637 scans from 289 individuals. In particular, we model volumetric changes in 26 bilateral ROIs, which cover large portions of cortical and subcortical gray matter. We account for (1) puberty-related effects on gray matter regions; (2) effects of an early transient growth process with additional time-lag parameter; (3) sexual dimorphism by modelling parameter differences between boys and girls. There is evidence that the regional pattern of sensitivity to dynamic hidden growth factors in late childhood is similar across genders and shows a consistent anterior-posterior gradient with strongest impact to prefrontal cortex (PFC) brain changes. Finally, we demonstrate the potential of the framework to explore the coupling of structural changes across a priori defined subnetworks using an example of previously established resting state functional connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Ziegler
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Gerard R Ridgway
- FMRIB Centre, University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK; Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | | | - John Ashburner
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Will Penny
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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29
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Herting MM, Sowell ER. Puberty and structural brain development in humans. Front Neuroendocrinol 2017; 44:122-137. [PMID: 28007528 PMCID: PMC5612369 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2016.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Revised: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a transitional period of physical and behavioral development between childhood and adulthood. Puberty is a distinct period of sexual maturation that occurs during adolescence. Since the advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), human studies have largely examined neurodevelopment in the context of age. A breadth of animal findings suggest that sex hormones continue to influence the brain beyond the prenatal period, with both organizational and activational effects occurring during puberty. Given the animal evidence, human MRI research has also set out to determine how puberty may influence otherwise known patterns of age-related neurodevelopment. Here we review structural-based MRI studies and show that pubertal maturation is a key variable to consider in elucidating sex- and individual- based differences in patterns of human brain development. We also highlight the continuing challenges faced, as well as future considerations, for this vital avenue of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Herting
- University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States.
| | - Elizabeth R Sowell
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Division of Research on Children, Youth, and Families, Los Angeles, CA 90027, United States
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30
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Gur RE, Gur RC. Sex differences in brain and behavior in adolescence: Findings from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 70:159-170. [PMID: 27498084 PMCID: PMC5098398 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.07.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Sex differences in brain and behavior were investigated across the lifespan. Parameters include neurobehavioral measures linkable to neuroanatomic and neurophysiologic indicators of brain structure and function. Sexual differentiation of behavior has been related to organizational factors during sensitive periods of development, with adolescence and puberty gaining increased attention. Adolescence is a critical developmental period where transition to adulthood is impacted by multiple factors that can enhance vulnerability to brain dysfunction. Here we highlight sex differences in neurobehavioral measures in adolescence that are linked to brain function. We summarize neuroimaging studies examining brain structure, connectivity and perfusion, underscoring the relationship to sex differences in behavioral measures and commenting on hormonal findings. We focus on relevant data from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (PNC), a community-based sample of nearly 10,000 clinically and neurocognitively phenotyped youths age 8-21 of whom 1600 have received multimodal neuroimaging. These data indicate early and pervasive sexual differentiation in neurocognitive measures that is linkable to brain parameters. We conclude by describing possible clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel E Gur
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Ruben C Gur
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, USA
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31
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Introduction to the special issue on gene-hormone interplay. Behav Genet 2015; 45:263-7. [PMID: 25903987 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-015-9717-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/26/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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