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Torvik FA, Flatø M, McAdams TA, Colman I, Silventoinen K, Stoltenberg C. Early Puberty Is Associated With Higher Academic Achievement in Boys and Girls and Partially Explains Academic Sex Differences. J Adolesc Health 2021; 69:503-510. [PMID: 33795203 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE On average, boys have lower academic achievement than girls. We investigated whether the timing of puberty is associated with academic achievement, and whether later puberty among boys contributes to the sex difference in academic achievement. METHOD Examination scores at age 16 were studied among 13,477 British twins participating in the population-based Twins Early Development Study. A pubertal development scale, a height-based proxy of growth spurt, and age at menarche were used as indicators of puberty. Associations between puberty, sex, and academic achievement were estimated in phenotypic mediation models and biometric twin models. RESULTS Earlier puberty was associated with higher academic achievement both in boys and girls. The exception was early age at menarche in girls, which associated with lower academic achievement. More than half of the sex differences in academic achievement could be linked to sex differences in pubertal development, but part of this association appeared to be rooted in prepubertal differences. The biometric twin modelling indicated that the association between puberty and academic achievement was due to shared genetic risk factors. Genetic influences on pubertal development accounted for 7%-8% of the phenotypic variation in academic achievement. CONCLUSIONS Pubertal maturation relates to the examination scores of boys and of girls. This can give genes related to pubertal maturation an influence on outcomes in education and beyond. Sex differences in pubertal maturation can explain parts of the sex difference in academic achievement. Grading students when they are immature may not accurately measure their academic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fartein Ask Torvik
- Centre For Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Martin Flatø
- Centre For Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tom A McAdams
- Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Promenta Research Centre, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ian Colman
- Centre For Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Karri Silventoinen
- Demographic Research Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Camilla Stoltenberg
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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Mäntyselkä A, Haapala EA, Lindi V, Häkkinen MR, Auriola S, Jääskeläinen J, Lakka TA. Associations of IGF-1 and Adrenal Androgens with Cognition in Childhood. Horm Res Paediatr 2020; 91:329-335. [PMID: 31401625 DOI: 10.1159/000501719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about the association between adrenarche and cognition in general populations of children. We therefore studied the associations of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), androstenedione (A4), testosterone, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and adrenarche with cognition among prepubertal children. METHODS These cross-sectional analyses are based on baseline data of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children Study. A total of 387 children (183 girls, 204 boys) were included in the analyses. Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM) score was used to assess nonverbal reasoning. Serum adrenal androgens and IGF-1 concentrations were measured and clinical signs of androgen action were evaluated. RESULTS Higher IGF-1 among boys (β = 0.149, p =0.033) was related to a better Raven's CPM score after adjustment for age and parental education. Adrenal androgens in girls or boys or IGF-1 in girls were not associated with the score. There were no differences in Raven's CPM score between children with biochemical adrenarche (DHEAS ≥1.08 µmol/L; ≥40 µg/dL) or with clinical signs of androgen action and children without them. CONCLUSION The results suggest that higher serum IGF-1 among boys is related to better cognition in prepubertal children. We could not provide evidence for the associations of adrenal maturation with cognition in prepubertal children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aino Mäntyselkä
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland,
| | - Eero A Haapala
- Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Virpi Lindi
- Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,University of Eastern Finland Library, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Merja R Häkkinen
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Seppo Auriola
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jarmo Jääskeläinen
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Timo A Lakka
- Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, School of Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Kuopio Research Institute of Exercise Medicine, Kuopio, Finland
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Dorn LD, Hostinar CE, Susman EJ, Pervanidou P. Conceptualizing Puberty as a Window of Opportunity for Impacting Health and Well-Being Across the Life Span. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2019; 29:155-176. [PMID: 30869846 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We promote the perspective that puberty, a separate biological process embedded in adolescence, is a "window of opportunity" for understanding and impacting health and development. First, we include a brief overview of pubertal change. Second, we propose a critical role for puberty in shaping life span health due to its connections with early life precursors, health issues and risks emerging during puberty, and health in young adulthood and beyond. Next, we discuss the importance of puberty measures in developmental research and suggest ways to make the science of puberty an important standalone research entity, as well as an essential component of studies conducted during adolescence. Finally, we discuss measurement issues, novel theoretical models of puberty, and the necessity of adopting an interdisciplinary perspective in research on puberty and in adolescence more broadly.
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Marakaki C, Pervanidou P, Papassotiriou I, Mastorakos G, Hochberg Z, Chrousos G, Papadimitriou A. Increased symptoms of anxiety and depression in prepubertal girls, but not boys, with premature adrenarche: associations with serum DHEAS and daily salivary cortisol concentrations. Stress 2018; 21:564-568. [PMID: 29916751 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2018.1484446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Concerns over anxiety and depressive symptoms in children with premature adrenarche (PA) have been recently raised. However, to date, most relevant studies are on a small number of girls. In this cross-sectional study, 82 pre-pubertal children (66 girls and 16 boys) diagnosed with PA, were compared to 63 control children regarding their psychological characteristics and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function, as assessed by salivary cortisol measurement. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed by child self-report (Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and Depression self-rating scale for Children (DSRS)) and parent-report (Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL)) tests validated for the Greek population. Salivary cortisol levels were determined directly after awakening (approximately 7am) and evening (8pm) of the same day. Morning serum DHEAS levels were assessed in PA children. Girls with PA scored significantly higher on anxiety (p = .016) and depression (p =.039) scales than controls. No group differences were noted for parent reports and children's salivary cortisol concentrations. Boys with PA did not demonstrate significant differences in any of the aforementioned parameters. Our findings suggest that girls with PA may be at higher risk for reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression than their non-PA peers. HPA axis dysregulation in this population was not documented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrisanthi Marakaki
- a Third Department of Pediatrics, Endocrinology Unit , School of Medicine, "Attikon" University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece
| | - Panagiota Pervanidou
- b First Department of Pediatrics, Childhood Obesity Clinic , School of Medicine, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece
| | - Ioannis Papassotiriou
- c Department of Clinical Biochemistry , "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital , Athens , Greece
| | - George Mastorakos
- d Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Endocrine Unit , Aretaieion Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece
| | - Ze'ev Hochberg
- e Faculty of Medicine , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa , Israel
| | - George Chrousos
- b First Department of Pediatrics, Childhood Obesity Clinic , School of Medicine, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece
| | - Anastasios Papadimitriou
- a Third Department of Pediatrics, Endocrinology Unit , School of Medicine, "Attikon" University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece
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Skogan AH, Oerbeck B, Christiansen C, Lande HL, Egeland J. Updated developmental norms for fine motor functions as measured by finger tapping speed and the Grooved Pegboard Test. Dev Neuropsychol 2018; 43:551-565. [DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2018.1495724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Annette Holth Skogan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway
| | - Beate Oerbeck
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Nydalen, Oslo, Norway
| | - Cathrine Christiansen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway
| | - Hilde Lillian Lande
- Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway
| | - Jens Egeland
- Department of Research, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo, Norway
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Noipayak P, Rawdaree P, Supawattanabodee B, Manusirivitthaya S. Age at menarche and performance intelligence quotients of adolescents in Bangkok, Thailand: a cross-sectional study. BMC Pediatr 2016; 16:87. [PMID: 27402000 PMCID: PMC4939523 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-016-0624-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The presence of an association between age at the onset of puberty and intelligence quotient (IQ) in young adolescents remains controversial. The aim of this study was to explore the association between age at menarche and performance IQ scores of young female adolescents in Bangkok, Thailand. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 537 students aged 11–15 years attending primary and secondary schools in the Dusit district of Bangkok, Thailand. The participants were selected based on two-step stratified sampling. Age at menarche and health and socioeconomic status were determined using a self-report questionnaire completed by participants. Performance IQ scores were determined using the Standard Progressive Matrices intelligence test (Thai version) administered by registered clinical psychologists. Results Of the 537 participants, 0.4 had reached menarche at 8 years of age, 1.9 at 9 years, 10.1 at 10 years, 36.1 at 11 years, 37.6 at 12 years, 10.4 at 13 years, 3.4 at 14 years, and 0.2 % at 15 years. Age at menarche was inversely correlated with performance IQ (Pearson correlation −0.087, p = 0.047). The regression equation predicting performance IQ by age at menarche was performance IQ = 128.06 − 1.16*age at menarche (R2 = 0.008). In univariate analysis, performance IQ was inversely correlated with age at menarche, body mass index (BMI), time spent watching television, and time sleeping, but was directly correlated with maternal age at birth (all p < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, age at menarche and BMI remained significantly inversely correlated with performance IQ (p < 0.05), while maternal age at birth was directly correlated with performance IQ. The model consisting of age at menarche, BMI, and maternal age at birth best predicted performance IQ. Conclusion After adjusting for confounders, multiple regression analysis showed that age at menarche and BMI of young female adolescents living in the Dusit district of Bangkok, Thailand, were inversely correlated with performance IQ, whereas maternal age at birth was directly correlated with performance IQ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pongsak Noipayak
- Department of Pediatrics, Navamindradhiraj University, Vajira Hospital, Samsean Road, Dusit, Bangkok, 10300, Thailand.
| | - Petch Rawdaree
- Department of Medicine, Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Busaba Supawattanabodee
- Research Promoting Center, Faculty of Medicine, Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sumonmal Manusirivitthaya
- Research Promoting Center, Faculty of Medicine, Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Utriainen P, Laakso S, Liimatta J, Jääskeläinen J, Voutilainen R. Premature adrenarche--a common condition with variable presentation. Horm Res Paediatr 2016; 83:221-31. [PMID: 25676474 DOI: 10.1159/000369458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Adrenarche refers to a maturational increase in the secretion of adrenal androgen precursors, mainly dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEAS). In premature adrenarche (PA), clinical signs of androgen action appear before the age of 8/9 years in girls/boys, concurrently with the circulating DHEA(S) concentrations above the usually low prepubertal level. The most pronounced sign of PA is the appearance of pubic/axillary hair, but also other signs of androgen effect (adult type body odor, acne/comedones, greasy hair, accelerated statural growth) are important to recognize. PA children are often overweight and taller than their peers, and the higher prevalence of PA in girls than in boys is probably explained by higher female adiposity and peripheral DHEA(S) conversion to active androgens. PA diagnosis requires exclusion of other causes of androgen excess: congenital adrenal hyperplasia, androgen-producing tumors, precocious puberty, and exogenous source of androgens. PA has been linked with unfavorable metabolic features including hyperinsulinism, dyslipidemia, and later-appearing ovarian hyperandrogenism. Although this common condition is usually benign, PA children with additional risk factors including obesity should be followed up, with the focus on weight and lifestyle. Long-term follow-up studies are warranted to clarify if the metabolic changes detected in PA children persist until adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauliina Utriainen
- Department of Pediatrics, Kuopio University Hospital and University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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Klauser P, Whittle S, Simmons JG, Byrne ML, Mundy LK, Patton GC, Fornito A, Allen NB. Reduced frontal white matter volume in children with early onset of adrenarche. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 52:111-8. [PMID: 25459897 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Revised: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 10/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
While there is growing evidence that puberty affects brain development, very little is known about the structural brain changes associated with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), an adrenal hormone that exhibits dramatic increases during adrenarche, the earliest phase of puberty. Moreover, no research has investigated whether relatively early exposure to DHEA (i.e., early adrenarche) during this period is associated with differences in brain structure. We ran a whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analysis on T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging brain scans to compare gray (GMV) and white matter volumes (WMV) between children experiencing relatively early (n=41) vs. relatively late (n=44) adrenarche. We also investigated the correlations between GMV or WMV and DHEA levels, and finally, tested for sex differences in group and correlation analyses. We observed reduced frontal WMV in a cluster located on the left corona radiata in children experiencing earlier adrenarche. In addition, WMV in this area was negatively correlated with DHEA levels. We did not observe any effect of gender in both the group and the correlation analyses. Early onset of adrenarche (as defined by relatively early exposure to DHEA) may be associated with differences in the development of frontal white matter tracts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Klauser
- Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences & Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Australia
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Australia
| | - Julian G Simmons
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michelle L Byrne
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Lisa K Mundy
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Centre for Adolescent Health, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - George C Patton
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Centre for Adolescent Health, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alex Fornito
- Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences & Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Australia
| | - Nicholas B Allen
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia; Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA.
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