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Kretzer S, Lawrence AJ, Pollard R, Ma X, Chen PJ, Amasi-Hartoonian N, Pariante C, Vallée C, Meaney M, Dazzan P. The Dynamic Interplay Between Puberty and Structural Brain Development as a Predictor of Mental Health Difficulties in Adolescence: A Systematic Review. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 96:585-603. [PMID: 38925264 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Puberty is a time of intense reorganization of brain structure and a high-risk period for the onset of mental health problems, with variations in pubertal timing and tempo intensifying this risk. We conducted 2 systematic reviews of articles published up to February 1, 2024, focusing on 1) the role of brain structure in the relationship between puberty and mental health, and 2) precision psychiatry research evaluating the utility of puberty in making individualized predictions of mental health outcomes in young people. The first review provides inconsistent evidence about whether and how pubertal and psychopathological processes may interact in relation to brain development. While most studies found an association between early puberty and mental health difficulties in adolescents, evidence on whether brain structure mediates this relationship is mixed. The pituitary gland was found to be associated with mental health status during this time, possibly through its central role in regulating puberty and its function in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axes. In the second review, the design of studies that have explored puberty in predictive models did not allow for a quantification of its predictive power. However, when puberty was evaluated through physically observable characteristics rather than hormonal measures, it was more commonly identified as a predictor of depression, anxiety, and suicidality in adolescence. Social processes may be more relevant than biological ones to the link between puberty and mental health problems and represent an important target for educational strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja Kretzer
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A∗STAR) Singapore, Republic of Singapore.
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Pollard
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Xuemei Ma
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pei Jung Chen
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Nare Amasi-Hartoonian
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carmine Pariante
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Corentin Vallée
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Meaney
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A∗STAR) Singapore, Republic of Singapore; Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Paola Dazzan
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
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Picci G, Petro NM, Casagrande CC, Ott LR, Okelberry HJ, Rice DL, Coutant AT, Ende GC, Steiner EL, Wang YP, Stephen JM, Calhoun VD, Wilson TW. Anterior pituitary gland volume mediates associations between pubertal hormones and changes in transdiagnostic symptoms in youth. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.17.594766. [PMID: 38798387 PMCID: PMC11118574 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.17.594766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The pituitary gland (PG) plays a central role in the production and secretion of pubertal hormones, with documented links to the emergence and increase in mental health symptoms known to occur during adolescence. Although much of the literature has focused on examining whole PG volume, recent findings suggest that there are associations among pubertal hormone levels, including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), subregions of the PG, and elevated mental health symptoms (e.g., internalizing symptoms) during adolescence. Surprisingly, studies have not yet examined associations among these factors and increasing transdiagnostic symptomology, despite DHEA being a primary output of the anterior PG. Therefore, the current study sought to fill this gap by examining whether anterior PG volume specifically mediates associations between DHEA levels and changes in dysregulation symptoms in an adolescent sample ( N = 114, 9 - 17 years, M age = 12.87, SD = 1.88). Following manual tracing of the anterior and posterior PG, structural equation modeling revealed that greater anterior, not posterior, PG volume mediated the association between greater DHEA levels and increasing dysregulation symptoms across time, controlling for baseline dysregulation symptom levels. These results suggest specificity in the role of the anterior PG in adrenarcheal processes that may confer risk for psychopathology during adolescence. This work not only highlights the importance of separately tracing the anterior and posterior PG, but also suggests that transdiagnostic factors like dysregulation are useful in parsing hormone-related increases in mental health symptoms in youth.
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Zennadi MM, Ptito M, Redouté J, Costes N, Boutet C, Germain N, Galusca B, Schneider FC. MRI atlas of the pituitary gland in young female adults. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:1001-1010. [PMID: 38502330 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02779-3] [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: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
The probabilistic topography and inter-individual variability of the pituitary gland (PG) remain undetermined. The absence of a standardized reference atlas hinders research on PG volumetrics. In this study, we aimed at creating maximum probability maps for the anterior and posterior PG in young female adults. We manually delineated the anterior and posterior parts of the pituitary glands in 26 healthy subjects using high-resolution MRI T1 images. A three-step procedure and a cost function-masking approach were employed to optimize spatial normalization for the PG. We generated probabilistic atlases and maximum probability maps, which were subsequently coregistered back to the subjects' space and compared to manual delineations. Manual measurements led to a total pituitary volume of 705 ± 88 mm³, with the anterior and posterior volumes measuring 614 ± 82 mm³ and 91 ± 20 mm³, respectively. The mean relative volume difference between manual and atlas-based estimations was 1.3%. The global pituitary atlas exhibited an 80% (± 9%) overlap for the DICE index and 67% (± 11%) for the Jaccard index. Similarly, these values were 77% (± 13%) and 64% (± 14%) for the anterior pituitary atlas and 62% (± 21%) and 47% (± 17%) for the posterior PG atlas, respectively. We observed a substantial concordance and a significant correlation between the volume estimations of the manual and atlas-based methods for the global pituitary and anterior volumes. The maximum probability maps of the anterior and posterior PG lay the groundwork for automatic atlas-based segmentation methods and the standardized analysis of large PG datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manel Merabet Zennadi
- Université Jean Monnet Saint Etienne, CHU de Saint Etienne, TAPE Research Unit EA 7423, F-42023, Saint Etienne, France
| | - Maurice Ptito
- École d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jérôme Redouté
- CERMEP, Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Nicolas Costes
- CERMEP, Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Claire Boutet
- Université Jean Monnet Saint Etienne, CHU de Saint Etienne, TAPE Research Unit EA 7423, F-42023, Saint Etienne, France
| | - Natacha Germain
- Université Jean Monnet Saint Etienne, CHU de Saint Etienne, TAPE Research Unit EA 7423, F-42023, Saint Etienne, France
| | - Bogdan Galusca
- Université Jean Monnet Saint Etienne, CHU de Saint Etienne, TAPE Research Unit EA 7423, F-42023, Saint Etienne, France
| | - Fabien C Schneider
- Université Jean Monnet Saint Etienne, CHU de Saint Etienne, TAPE Research Unit EA 7423, F-42023, Saint Etienne, France.
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Merabet M, Germain N, Redouté J, Boutet C, Costes N, Ptito M, Galusca B, Schneider FC. Structure-function relationship of the pituitary gland in anorexia nervosa and intense physical activity. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:195-205. [PMID: 38062204 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02739-3] [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: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Patients with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and athletes share intense physical activity and pituitary hormonal disturbances related to absolute (AN) or relative (athletes) undernutrition. Pituitary gland (PG) structure evaluations in those conditions are scarce, and did not differentiate anterior from posterior lobe. We evaluated the structure-function relationship of anterior and posterior PG in AN and athletes, and potential reversibility of this alteration in a group of weight-recovered patients (AN_Rec). Manual delineation of anterior (AP) and posterior (PP) PG was performed on T1-weighted MR images in 17 women with AN, 15 women with AN_Rec, 18 athletes women and 25 female controls. Anthropometric, hormonal, and psychometric parameters were explored and correlated with PG volumes. AP volume (APV) was lower in AN (448 ± 82 mm3), AN_Rec (505 ± 59 mm3), and athletes (540 ± 101 mm3) vs. Controls (615 ± 61 mm3, p < 0.00001, p < 0.00001 and p = 0.02, respectively); and smaller in AN vs. AN_Rec (p = 0.007). PP volume did not show any differences between the groups. APV was positively correlated with weight (R = 0.36, p = 0.011) in AN, and luteinizing hormone (R = 0.35, p = 0.014) in total group. In AN, mean growth hormone (GH) was negatively correlated with global pituitary volume (R = 0.31, p = 0.031) and APV (R = 0.29, p = 0.037). Absolute and relative undernutrition led to a decreased anterior pituitary gland volume, which was reversible with weight gain, correlated with low bodyweight, and blockade of gonadal hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Intriguing inverse correlation between anterior pituitary gland volume and GH plasma level could suggests a low storage capacity of anterior pituitary gland and increased reactivity to low insulin-like growth factor type 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manel Merabet
- TAPE Research Unit, EA 7423, Jean Monnet University, Saint Etienne, France
| | - Natacha Germain
- TAPE Research Unit, EA 7423, Jean Monnet University, Saint Etienne, France.
- Eating Disorders Reference Center, CHU Saint Etienne, 42055, Saint Etienne Cedex 2, France.
- Endocrinology Department, CHU Saint Etienne, 42055, Saint Etienne Cedex 2, France.
| | | | - Claire Boutet
- TAPE Research Unit, EA 7423, Jean Monnet University, Saint Etienne, France
- Radiology Department, CHU Saint Etienne, 42055, Saint Etienne Cedex 2, France
| | | | - Maurice Ptito
- École d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Bogdan Galusca
- TAPE Research Unit, EA 7423, Jean Monnet University, Saint Etienne, France
- Eating Disorders Reference Center, CHU Saint Etienne, 42055, Saint Etienne Cedex 2, France
- Endocrinology Department, CHU Saint Etienne, 42055, Saint Etienne Cedex 2, France
| | - Fabien C Schneider
- TAPE Research Unit, EA 7423, Jean Monnet University, Saint Etienne, France
- Radiology Department, CHU Saint Etienne, 42055, Saint Etienne Cedex 2, France
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Cullen AE, Labad J, Oliver D, Al-Diwani A, Minichino A, Fusar-Poli P. The Translational Future of Stress Neurobiology and Psychosis Vulnerability: A Review of the Evidence. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:350-377. [PMID: 36946486 PMCID: PMC10845079 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230322145049] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychosocial stress is a well-established risk factor for psychosis, yet the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this relationship have yet to be fully elucidated. Much of the research in this field has investigated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function and immuno-inflammatory processes among individuals with established psychotic disorders. However, as such studies are limited in their ability to provide knowledge that can be used to develop preventative interventions, it is important to shift the focus to individuals with increased vulnerability for psychosis (i.e., high-risk groups). In the present article, we provide an overview of the current methods for identifying individuals at high-risk for psychosis and review the psychosocial stressors that have been most consistently associated with psychosis risk. We then describe a network of interacting physiological systems that are hypothesised to mediate the relationship between psychosocial stress and the manifestation of psychotic illness and critically review evidence that abnormalities within these systems characterise highrisk populations. We found that studies of high-risk groups have yielded highly variable findings, likely due to (i) the heterogeneity both within and across high-risk samples, (ii) the diversity of psychosocial stressors implicated in psychosis, and (iii) that most studies examine single markers of isolated neurobiological systems. We propose that to move the field forward, we require well-designed, largescale translational studies that integrate multi-domain, putative stress-related biomarkers to determine their prognostic value in high-risk samples. We advocate that such investigations are highly warranted, given that psychosocial stress is undoubtedly a relevant risk factor for psychotic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis E. Cullen
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, United Kingdom
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Insurance Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Javier Labad
- CIBERSAM, Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Mental Health and Addictions, Consorci Sanitari del Maresme, Mataró, Spain
| | - Dominic Oliver
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-Detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Al-Diwani
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Amedeo Minichino
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-Detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Paolo Fusar-Poli
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-Detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- OASIS Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
- National Institute of Health Research Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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6
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Picci G, Casagrande CC, Ott LR, Petro NM, Christopher‐Hayes NJ, Johnson HJ, Willett MP, Okelberry HJ, Wang Y, Stephen JM, Calhoun VD, Wilson TW. Dehydroepiandrosterone mediates associations between trauma-related symptoms and anterior pituitary volume in children and adolescents. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:6388-6398. [PMID: 37853842 PMCID: PMC10681633 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26516] [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: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The anterior pituitary gland (PG) is a potential locus of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responsivity to early life stress, with documented associations between dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels and anterior PG volumes. In adults, elevated anxiety/depressive symptoms are related to diminished DHEA levels, and studies have shown a positive relationship between DHEA and anterior pituitary volumes. However, specific links between responses to stress, DHEA levels, and anterior pituitary volume have not been established in developmental samples. METHODS High-resolution T1-weighted MRI scans were collected from 137 healthy youth (9-17 years; Mage = 12.99 (SD = 1.87); 49% female; 85% White, 4% Indigenous, 1% Asian, 4% Black, 4% multiracial, 2% not reported). The anterior and posterior PGs were manually traced by trained raters. We examined the mediating effects of salivary DHEA on trauma-related symptoms (i.e., anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic) and PG volumes as well as an alternative model examining mediating effects of PG volume on DHEA and trauma-related symptoms. RESULTS DHEA mediated the association between anxiety symptoms and anterior PG volume. Specifically, higher anxiety symptoms related to lower DHEA levels, which in turn were related to smaller anterior PG. CONCLUSIONS These results shed light on the neurobiological sequelae of elevated anxiety in youth and are consistent with adult findings showing suppressed levels of DHEA in those with greater comorbid anxiety and depression. Specifically, adolescents with greater subclinical anxiety may exhibit diminished levels of DHEA during the pubertal window, which may be associated with disruptions in anterior PG growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Picci
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain HealthBoys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Chloe C. Casagrande
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Lauren R. Ott
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Nathan M. Petro
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | | | - Hallie J. Johnson
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Madelyn P. Willett
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Hannah J. Okelberry
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Yu‐Ping Wang
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringTulane UniversityNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
| | | | - Vince D. Calhoun
- Tri‐Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS)Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of technology, and Emory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Tony W. Wilson
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain HealthBoys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Department of Pharmacology & NeuroscienceCreighton UniversityOmahaNebraskaUSA
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Chavanne AV, Paillère Martinot ML, Penttilä J, Grimmer Y, Conrod P, Stringaris A, van Noort B, Isensee C, Becker A, Banaschewski T, Bokde ALW, Desrivières S, Flor H, Grigis A, Garavan H, Gowland P, Heinz A, Brühl R, Nees F, Papadopoulos Orfanos D, Paus T, Poustka L, Hohmann S, Millenet S, Fröhner JH, Smolka MN, Walter H, Whelan R, Schumann G, Martinot JL, Artiges E. Anxiety onset in adolescents: a machine-learning prediction. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:639-646. [PMID: 36481929 PMCID: PMC9908534 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01840-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Recent longitudinal studies in youth have reported MRI correlates of prospective anxiety symptoms during adolescence, a vulnerable period for the onset of anxiety disorders. However, their predictive value has not been established. Individual prediction through machine-learning algorithms might help bridge the gap to clinical relevance. A voting classifier with Random Forest, Support Vector Machine and Logistic Regression algorithms was used to evaluate the predictive pertinence of gray matter volumes of interest and psychometric scores in the detection of prospective clinical anxiety. Participants with clinical anxiety at age 18-23 (N = 156) were investigated at age 14 along with healthy controls (N = 424). Shapley values were extracted for in-depth interpretation of feature importance. Prospective prediction of pooled anxiety disorders relied mostly on psychometric features and achieved moderate performance (area under the receiver operating curve = 0.68), while generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) prediction achieved similar performance. MRI regional volumes did not improve the prediction performance of prospective pooled anxiety disorders with respect to psychometric features alone, but they improved the prediction performance of GAD, with the caudate and pallidum volumes being among the most contributing features. To conclude, in non-anxious 14 year old adolescents, future clinical anxiety onset 4-8 years later could be individually predicted. Psychometric features such as neuroticism, hopelessness and emotional symptoms were the main contributors to pooled anxiety disorders prediction. Neuroanatomical data, such as caudate and pallidum volume, proved valuable for GAD and should be included in prospective clinical anxiety prediction in adolescents.
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Grants
- MRF_MRF-058-0004-RG-DESRI MRF
- MR/R00465X/1 Medical Research Council
- R01 MH085772 NIMH NIH HHS
- U54 EB020403 NIBIB NIH HHS
- R56 AG058854 NIA NIH HHS
- MR/W002418/1 Medical Research Council
- MR/S020306/1 Medical Research Council
- MRF_MRF-058-0009-RG-DESR-C0759 MRF
- MR/N000390/1 Medical Research Council
- R01 DA049238 NIDA NIH HHS
- This work received support from the following sources: the European Union-funded FP6 Integrated Project IMAGEN (Reinforcement-related behaviour in normal brain function and psychopathology) (LSHM-CT- 2007-037286), the Horizon 2020 funded ERC Advanced Grant ‘STRATIFY’ (Brain network based stratification of reinforcement-related disorders) (695313), Human Brain Project (HBP SGA 2, 785907, and HBP SGA 3, 945539), the Medical Research Council Grant 'c-VEDA’ (Consortium on Vulnerability to Externalizing Disorders and Addictions) (MR/N000390/1), the National Institute of Health (NIH) (R01DA049238, A decentralized macro and micro gene-by-environment interaction analysis of substance use behavior and its brain biomarkers), the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF grants 01GS08152; 01EV0711; Forschungsnetz AERIAL 01EE1406A, 01EE1406B; Forschungsnetz IMAC- Mind 01GL1745B), the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG grants SM 80/7-2, SFB 940, TRR 265, NE 1383/14-1), the Medical Research Foundation and Medical Research Council (grants MR/R00465X/1 and MR/S020306/1), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded ENIGMA (grants 5U54EB020403-05 and 1R56AG058854-01). Further support was provided by grants from: - the ANR (ANR-12-SAMA-0004, AAPG2019 - GeBra), the Eranet Neuron (AF12-NEUR0008-01 - WM2NA; and ANR-18-NEUR00002-01 - ADORe), the Fondation de France (00081242), the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (DPA20140629802), the Mission Interministérielle de Lutte-contre-les-Drogues-et-les-Conduites-Addictives (MILDECA), the Assistance-Publique-Hôpitaux-de-Paris and INSERM (interface grant), Paris Sud University IDEX 2012, the Fondation de l’Avenir (grant AP-RM-17-013), the Fédération pour la Recherche sur le Cerveau; the National Institutes of Health, Science Foundation Ireland (16/ERCD/3797), U.S.A. (Axon, Testosterone and Mental Health during Adolescence; RO1 MH085772-01A1), and by NIH Consortium grant U54 EB020403, supported by a cross-NIH alliance that funds Big Data to Knowledge Centres of Excellence. The INSERM, and the Strasbourg University and SATT CONECTUS, provided sponsorship (PI: Jean-Luc Martinot).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice V Chavanne
- Université Paris-Saclay, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U1299 "Trajectoires développementales Psychiatrie", Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR 9010, Centre Borelli, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marie Laure Paillère Martinot
- Université Paris-Saclay, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U1299 "Trajectoires développementales Psychiatrie", Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR 9010, Centre Borelli, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, AP-HP, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Jani Penttilä
- Department of Social and Health Care, Psychosocial Services Adolescent Outpatient Clinic Kauppakatu 14, Lahti, Finland
| | - Yvonne Grimmer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Patricia Conrod
- Department of Psychiatry, CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital, University of Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Betteke van Noort
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Campus CharitéMitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany
| | - Corinna Isensee
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, von-Siebold-Str. 5, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Becker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, von-Siebold-Str. 5, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Arun L W Bokde
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sylvane Desrivières
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Herta Flor
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, 68131, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Antoine Grigis
- NeuroSpin, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
| | - Penny Gowland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Brühl
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Schleswig Holstein, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Tomáš Paus
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Population Neuroscience Laboratory, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, von-Siebold-Str. 5, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sarah Hohmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sabina Millenet
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Juliane H Fröhner
- Section of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Section of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Whelan
- School of Psychology and Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gunter Schumann
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS), ISTBI, Fudan University Shanghai and Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jean-Luc Martinot
- Université Paris-Saclay, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U1299 "Trajectoires développementales Psychiatrie", Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR 9010, Centre Borelli, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Eric Artiges
- Université Paris-Saclay, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U1299 "Trajectoires développementales Psychiatrie", Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR 9010, Centre Borelli, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Department of Psychiatry, EPS Barthélémy Durand, Etampes, France
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8
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Mattoni M, Wilson S, Olino TM. Identifying profiles of brain structure and associations with current and future psychopathology in youth. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 51:101013. [PMID: 34555784 PMCID: PMC8461345 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.101013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain structure is often studied as a marker of youth psychopathology by examining associations between volume or thickness of individual regions and specific diagnoses. However, these univariate approaches do not address whether the effect of a particular region may depend on the structure of other regions. Here, we identified subgroups of individuals with distinct profiles of brain structure and examined how these profiles were associated with concurrent and future youth psychopathology. We used latent profile analysis to identify distinct neuroanatomical profiles of subcortical region volume and orbitofrontal cortical thickness in the ABCD study (N = 9376, mean age = 9.91, SD = 0.62). We identified a five-profile solution consisting of a reduced subcortical volume profile, a reduced orbitofrontal thickness profile, a reduced limbic and elevated striatal volume profile, an elevated orbitofrontal thickness and reduced striatal volume profile, and an elevated orbitofrontal thickness and subcortical volume profile. While controlling for age, sex, and intracranial volume, profiles exhibited differences in concurrent psychopathology measured dimensionally and categorically and in psychopathology at 1-year follow-up measured dimensionally. Results show that profiles of brain structure have incremental validity for associations with youth psychopathology beyond intracranial volume.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Mattoni
- Temple University, Department of Psychology, 1701 N 13th St, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.
| | - Sylia Wilson
- University of Minnesota, Institute of Child Development, 1 E River Rd, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Thomas M Olino
- Temple University, Department of Psychology, 1701 N 13th St, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
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9
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Farrow P, Simmons JG, Pozzi E, Díaz-Arteche C, Richmond S, Bray K, Schwartz O, Whittle S. Associations between early life stress and anterior pituitary gland volume development during late childhood. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 122:104868. [PMID: 33068951 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Early Life Stress (ELS) is thought to influence Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal-Axis (HPAA) functioning, contributing to an increased risk for psychopathology through dysregulation of biological stress responses. Research exploring relationships between ELS and HPAA functioning has largely focused on its key hormonal output, cortisol. However, findings have been inconsistent, potentially due to cortisol's distinctive diurnal patterns and dynamic nature complicating its accurate measurement. Thus, this study explored the link between ELS and a more stable, structural component of the HPAA, specifically, anterior pituitary gland volume (PGV) in a community sample of children (N = 129, 68 female). PGV was traced from Magnetic Resonance Imaging brain scans across two time-points at ages 8 (baseline) and 10 years (follow-up). ELS exposure was assessed at baseline through parent-report questionnaires and maternal affective behavior observed in mother-child interaction tasks. ELS variables were reduced to a 5-factor structure using exploratory factor analysis - Uninvolved Parenting, Negative Affective Parenting, Neglect, Trauma, and Dysfunctional Discipline. Direct and sex-moderated associations between ELS and PGV were explored using regression and linear mixed models analyses. PGV-mediated associations between ELS and internalizing symptoms were also investigated. Childhood Neglect was significantly associated with greater baseline anterior PGV, that was stable over the follow-up period. This effect was found in the whole sample, and in males, specifically. No mediation effects were found. Results suggest that neglect may play a unique role in HPAA neurodevelopment; however, it is important that future research extends into adolescence to more clearly characterize these neurodevelopmental associations and any subsequent psychopathological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige Farrow
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Julian G Simmons
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Elena Pozzi
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia; Orygen, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Carmela Díaz-Arteche
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia
| | - Sally Richmond
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, VIC, Australia
| | - Katherine Bray
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Orli Schwartz
- Orygen, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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10
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Díaz-Arteche C, Simmons JG, Ganella DE, Schwartz O, Kim JH, Farrow P, Whittle S. Associations between early life stress and anterior pituitary gland volume development - A novel index of long-term hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:808-816. [PMID: 33078393 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22047] [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: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has established associations between early life stress (ELS) and altered pituitary gland volume (PGV) growth during adolescence. The pituitary gland, however, is composed of an anterior and a posterior lobe with distinct histological and neuroendocrinological properties. While the anterior (but not posterior) pituitary gland is directly involved in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) stress response, no studies have examined the effects of ELS on anterior PGV (aPGV). The present study investigated whether previously reported associations between ELS and PGV development during adolescence were driven by aPGV versus posterior PGV (pPGV). Ninety-one adolescents (49 males) were included from a longitudinal, community-based adolescent development study investigating risk for psychopathology. ELS (maternal affective behavior, childhood maltreatment, stressful life events) was assessed during early adolescence. Participants underwent two waves of structural magnetic resonance imaging during mid- and late-adolescence, and aPGV and pPGV were manually traced. Regression analyses showed that childhood maltreatment predicted greater aPGV growth in females. This finding was stronger than that previously reported for PGV. No associations were found between ELS and pPGV development. Neither aPGV nor pPGV changes mediated associations between ELS and psychopathology. Results suggest that ELS may accelerate aPGV (but not pPGV) growth throughout adolescence. Investigating the development of aPGV, rather than PGV, represents a novel approach to studying the effects of stress on HPAA functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmela Díaz-Arteche
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Departmet of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia
| | - Julian G Simmons
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Departmet of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia.,Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Despina E Ganella
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, VIC, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Orli Schwartz
- Orygen, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jee Hyun Kim
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, VIC, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,IMPACT - The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Paige Farrow
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Departmet of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Departmet of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia.,Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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11
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Sandini C, Chambaz M, Schneider M, Armando M, Zöller D, Schaer M, Sandi C, Van De Ville D, Eliez S. Pituitary dysmaturation affects psychopathology and neurodevelopment in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 113:104540. [PMID: 31958652 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22q11DS) confers strongly increased genetic risk for multiple psychiatric disorders. Similarly to the general population, rates of psychiatric comorbidity suggest that common disease mechanisms are shared across dimensions of psychopathology. Such pleiotropic disease mechanisms remain however currently unknown. We hypothesized that pituitary dysmaturation, indicative of HPA-axis dysregulation, could correlate to reduced tolerance to daily life stressors and reflect pleiotropic risk factor for psychopathology. Moreover HPA-axis dysregulation could affect atypical cortical and hippocampal development previously described in 22q11DS. METHODS Pituitary volume, hippocampal volume and cortical thickness measures were obtained from T1-weighted MRI images in a large longitudinal cohort of youth with 22q11DS (115 subjects, 260 scans, age-range = 5.4-31.6) and healthy controls (151 subjects, 280 scans, age-range = 5.1-32.3). We explored effects of pituitary dysmaturation on tolerance to stress, psychopathology and neurodevelopment employing mixed-models linear regression. Associations of pituitary and cortical development were correlated with the expression pattern of glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1 obtained from the Allen-Human-Brain-Atlas. RESULTS We observed aberrant pituitary developmental trajectories in 22q11DS, with volumetric reductions emerging by young-adulthood (P = 0.0006). Longitudinal pituitary decline was associated with to reduced tolerance to stress (P = 0.04), higher overall psychopathology (P = 0.0003) and increased risk of psychiatric comorbidity (P = 0.02). Moreover, pituitary decline correlated with blunted growth of the right hippocampus (P = 0.03) and to increased cortical thinning of mostly temporal and orbitofrontal regions mediated by NR3C1 gene expression. CONCLUSION Atypical pituitary development could reflect progressive extinction of HPAA due to chronic hyper-activation, in agreement with existing biochemical evidence in 22q11DS. HPAA dysregulation could represent and endophenotype that confers pleiotropic vulnerability to psychopathology and atypical neurodevelopment in 22q11DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corrado Sandini
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Maëlle Chambaz
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maude Schneider
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland; Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Research Group Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marco Armando
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Daniela Zöller
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland; Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marie Schaer
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Dimitri Van De Ville
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Eliez
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
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12
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Kaess M, Whittle S, O'Brien-Simpson L, Allen NB, Simmons JG. Childhood maltreatment, pituitary volume and adolescent hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis - Evidence for a maltreatment-related attenuation. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 98:39-45. [PMID: 30098511 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alterations of the development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) have been suggested to be related to experiences of early maltreatment. It has been postulated that early stress (i.e., maltreatment) leads to initial hyperactivation of the HPAA, which subsequently may progress to hypoactivation during the course of adolescence, however empirical studies on this hypothesis are rare. In the current study, we aimed to examine the longitudinal relationships between childhood maltreatment, early adolescent pituitary gland volume (PGV) and mid-adolescent cortisol output in an existing data set to explore the utility of PGV as a measure of HPAA function, and as an indirect test of the attenuation hypothesis. METHODS The sample comprised 69 adolescents (30 females), subsampled from a larger longitudinal, community-based study on adolescent development. PGV, as an estimate of chronic childhood HPAA activity, was measured by magnetic resonance imaging during early adolescence (mean age 12.62 ± 0.45 years). Cortisol output was assessed via multiple salivary cortisol measures in mid-adolescence (mean age 15.52 ± 0.39 years). The cortisol awakening response (CAR) was calculated as a measure of HPAA functioning. Retrospective assessment of childhood maltreatment was performed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Regression analyses were conducted to examine whether childhood maltreatment, PGV, and their interaction, predicted mid-adolescent CAR. RESULTS No main effect of PGV or maltreatment was found on adolescent CAR. PGV did however significantly interact with childhood maltreatment in predicting the CAR (t = -2.26; p = 0.024). Larger PGV positively predicted lower CAR in the context of relatively high childhood maltreatment (t = 2.032; p = 0.046), but showed no relationship in the context of relatively low maltreatment (t = 0.723; p = 0.472). Maltreatment also interacted with sex, such that (only) in females, higher levels of maltreatment predicted a lower CAR (t = -2.04, p = 0.042). CONCLUSIONS In the presence of childhood maltreatment, larger PGV was associated with lower CAR in adolescence, providing support for the application of PGV in studies of HPA axis function. Our finding is consistent with a maltreatment-related attenuation of HPAA functioning that may derive from a stress induced chronic hyperactivation during childhood. Prospective longitudinal studies are now required to further explicate these findings and relationships with psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kaess
- University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Switzerland; Section for Translational Psychobiology in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Laurie O'Brien-Simpson
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nicholas B Allen
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, United States
| | - Julian G Simmons
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia.
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13
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Jones SA, Morales AM, Lavine JB, Nagel BJ. Convergent neurobiological predictors of emergent psychopathology during adolescence. Birth Defects Res 2018; 109:1613-1622. [PMID: 29251844 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The adolescent brain undergoes significant structural and functional development. Through the use of magnetic resonance imaging in adolescents, it has been demonstrated that the prefrontal cortex, pertinent for executive control, demonstrates protracted development compared to limbic structures, active during emotion and reward processing. This asynchronous development creates a sensitive window during adolescence, in which many psychopathological disorders (i.e., mental health and substance use) emerge. This review outlines longitudinal studies that use magnetic resonance imaging to identify neurobiological predictors of emergent psychopathology (depression, anxiety, and substance use), during adolescence. Studies identifying neurobiological markers that predict onset and escalation of these disorders, as well as those that predict successful treatment outcomes are explored. An emphasis is placed on frontolimbic brain structures, a convergent neurobiological target for both emergent mental health issues and emergent substance use. The literature reviewed herein suggests that reduced volume and cortical thickness in frontolimbic regions, as well as reduced functional activation (particularly during task involving reward or emotional stimuli) in these regions, may serve as a neurobiological predictors of emergent psychopathology in adolescence. This knowledge is crucial, as it may be used to develop neurobiologically targeted prevention and intervention strategies for youth who are at-risk for developing these psychopathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A Jones
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Angelica M Morales
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Jessye B Lavine
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Bonnie J Nagel
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.,Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
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14
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Karlsgodt KH, Bato AA, Ikuta T, Peters BD, DeRosse P, Szeszko PR, Malhotra AK. Functional Activation During a Cognitive Control Task in Healthy Youth Specific to Externalizing or Internalizing Behaviors. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2017. [PMID: 29529408 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Externalizing behaviors are negative behaviors expressed outwardly, including rule breaking, aggression, and risk taking; internalizing behaviors are expressed inwardly, including depression, withdrawal, and anxiety. Such behavior can cause problems in early life and predict difficulties across the lifespan. There is evidence for a relationship between executive function and both externalizing and internalizing. However, although these behaviors occur along a spectrum, there is little neuroimaging research on this relationship in typically developing youth. METHODS We assessed 41 youth (10-19 years of age) using the Multi-Source Interference Task during functional magnetic resonance imaging and related the findings to self-reported externalizing and internalizing scores as measured by the Youth Self-Report. We performed a general linear model using FSL software; externalizing, internalizing, age, and sex were included in the model. RESULTS Compared to the control condition, the more difficult Multi-Source Interference Task interference condition was associated with greater engagement of the frontoparietal cognitive control system and decreased engagement of regions in the default mode network, based on a cluster threshold of Z > 3.1 (p = .01). When we examined regions uniquely associated with either internalizing or externalizing, we found that within the same group of subjects, higher externalizing behavior was associated with hyperactivity in the parietal lobe; in contrast, higher internalizing behavior was associated with increased activation in the medial prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that externalizing and internalizing may be associated with altered, but different, patterns of activation during cognitive control. This has implications for our understanding of the relationship between cognitive control and behavioral problems in youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine H Karlsgodt
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
| | - Angelica A Bato
- Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York; Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, New York
| | - Toshikazu Ikuta
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi
| | | | - Pamela DeRosse
- Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York; Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, New York; Northwell School of Medicine, Hempstead, New York
| | - Philip R Szeszko
- James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Anil K Malhotra
- Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York; Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, New York; Northwell School of Medicine, Hempstead, New York
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15
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Murray CR, Simmons JG, Allen NB, Byrne ML, Mundy LK, Seal ML, Patton GC, Olsson CA, Whittle S. Associations between dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels, pituitary volume, and social anxiety in children. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 64:31-9. [PMID: 26600008 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Revised: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Early timing of adrenarche, associated with relatively high levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulphate (DHEA-S) in children, has been linked with mental health problems, particularly anxiety. However, little is known about possible neurobiological mechanisms underlying this association. The pituitary gland is a key component of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the activation of which triggers the onset of adrenarche. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which pituitary gland volume mediated the relationship between levels of DHEA/DHEA-S relative to age (i.e., adrenarcheal timing) and symptoms of anxiety in 95 children (50 female, M age 9.50 years, SD 0.34 years). Relatively high DHEA and DHEA-S (DHEA/S) levels were found to be associated with larger pituitary gland volumes. There was no significant direct effect of relative DHEA/S levels on overall symptoms of anxiety. However, results supported an indirect link between relatively high DHEA/S levels and symptoms of social anxiety, mediated by pituitary gland volume. No sex differences were observed for any relationship. Our findings suggest that neurobiological mechanisms may be partly responsible for the link between relatively early adrenarche and anxiety symptoms in children. One possible mechanism for this finding is that an enlarged pituitary gland in children experiencing relatively advanced adrenarche might be associated with hyper-activity/reactivity of the HPA axis. Further research is needed to understand the role of stress in the link between adrenarcheal timing and HPA-axis function, especially in relation to the development of anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia R Murray
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, 161 Barry Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Barker Street, Randwick, New South Wales 2031, Australia
| | - Julian G Simmons
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, 161 Barry Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia; Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Nicholas B Allen
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia; Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 1715 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Michelle L Byrne
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 1715 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Lisa K Mundy
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia; Centre for Adolescent Health, The Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Marc L Seal
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - George C Patton
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia; Centre for Adolescent Health, The Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Craig A Olsson
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia; School of Psychology, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, 161 Barry Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
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16
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Pituitary enlargement has been reported in individuals with schizophrenic psychosis or an at-risk mental state for psychosis (ARMS). In a previous study, our group could show pituitary volume increase in first episode and ARMS patients with later transition to psychosis (ARMS-T). However, there are no longitudinal studies on this issue so far. We therefore examined longitudinally whether transition to psychosis would be accompanied by a further increase of pituitary volume in antipsychotic-naïve ARMS patients. METHODS Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were acquired from 23 antipsychotic-naïve individuals with an ARMS. Ten subjects developed psychosis (ARMS-T) and 13 did not (ARMS-NT). ARMS-T were re-scanned after the onset of psychosis, and ARMS-NT were re-scanned at the end of the study period. RESULTS There was no significant difference of the pituitary volume between ARMS-T and ARMS-NT in our sample, and there were no significant pituitary volume changes over time. Discussion Longitudinally, we could not detect any further volumetric changes in the pituitary volume with transition to psychosis. CONCLUSIONS This, together with the result of our previous study, could indicate that the perceived level of stress in ARMS patients is constantly high from very early onward.
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17
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Han X, Xiu J, Huang Z, Zhang J, Zhang Z, Dong Y, Yuan X, Liu Q. Three-dimensional magnetic resonance volumetry of the pituitary gland is effective in detecting short stature in children. Exp Ther Med 2014; 8:551-556. [PMID: 25009618 PMCID: PMC4079427 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2014.1778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to obtain standard reference values for the pituitary gland volumes of healthy children and to analyze the potential diagnostic values of pituitary gland volumetry for growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and idiopathic short stature (ISS). The volume of the pituitary gland was measured using a thin-section three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence of magnetization-prepared rapid gradient echo imaging with a section thickness of 1 mm. A group of 75 healthy children aged between 1 and 19 years were recruited to obtain normal volumetry values of the pituitary gland. These individuals demonstrated no evidence of abnormalities to the central nervous or endocrine systems prior to the study. An additional group of 55 children with GHD (n=32) or ISS (n=23) aged between 0 and 14 years were included in the measurement of pituitary gland volume and height. The Student’s t-test was used to evaluate the repetition test, while Pearson’s correlation coefficient and regression analyses were performed to examine the correlations between the volume and height of the pituitary glands. Pituitary gland volume and height demonstrated an increasing trend with age in the healthy children. In addition, the pituitary gland volume exhibited a growth spurt in the early teenage years (10–14 years-old), which was more prominent in females. The growth spurt was not observed for pituitary gland height. When compared with the healthy children, 65.6% of the children with GHD and 34.8% of the children with ISS had smaller pituitary gland volumes. Similarly, 37.5% of the children with GHD and 26.1% of the children with ISS had a smaller pituitary gland height compared with the healthy children. The pituitary gland volume performed significantly better compared with height with regard to the detection rate. Therefore, the results indicated that 3D MRI volumetry was useful for understanding the developmental characteristics of the pituitary gland in healthy children, and that the reference data provided by 3D MRI were effective in the diagnosis of short stature following associations with neuroimaging and clinical functional abnormalities of the pituitary gland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Han
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Jianjun Xiu
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Zhaoqin Huang
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Zhonghe Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Yin Dong
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Xianshun Yuan
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Qingwei Liu
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
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Vijayakumar N, Whittle S, Dennison M, Yücel M, Simmons J, Allen NB. Development of temperamental effortful control mediates the relationship between maturation of the prefrontal cortex and psychopathology during adolescence: a 4-year longitudinal study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2014; 9:30-43. [PMID: 24486655 PMCID: PMC6989743 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2013.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2013] [Revised: 11/28/2013] [Accepted: 12/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Longitudinal study investigating the relationship between development of cortical thickness and effortful control during adolescence. Examined whether change in effortful control mediated the relationship between cortical development and change in socioemotional functioning, including psychopathology symptoms. Greater cortical thinning of the left ACC was associated with superior development of effortful control. Changes in effortful control mediated the relationship between greater thinning of the left ACC and improvements in socioemotional functioning.
This study investigated the relationship between the development of effortful control (EC), a temperamental measure of self-regulation, and concurrent development of three regions of the prefrontal cortex (anterior cingulate cortex, ACC; dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, dlPFC; ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, vlPFC) between early- and mid-adolescence. It also examined whether development of EC mediated the relationship between cortical maturation and emotional and behavioral symptoms. Ninety-two adolescents underwent baseline assessments when they were approximately 12 years old and follow-up assessments approximately 4 years later. At each assessment, participants had MRI scans and completed the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised, as well as measures of depressive and anxious symptoms, and aggressive and risk taking behavior. Cortical thicknesses of the ACC, dlPFC and vlPFC, estimated using the FreeSurfer software, were found to decrease over time. EC also decreased over time in females. Greater thinning of the left ACC was associated with less reduction in EC. Furthermore, change in effortful control mediated the relationship between greater thinning of the left ACC and improvements in socioemotional functioning, including reductions in psychopathological symptoms. These findings highlight the dynamic association between EC and the maturation of the anterior cingulate cortex, and the importance of this relationship for socioemotional functioning during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandita Vijayakumar
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Meg Dennison
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Murat Yücel
- Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Julian Simmons
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nicholas B Allen
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
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Kaess M, Simmons JG, Whittle S, Jovev M, Chanen AM, Yücel M, Pantelis C, Allen NB. Sex-specific prediction of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity by pituitary volume during adolescence: a longitudinal study from 12 to 17 years of age. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2013; 38:2694-704. [PMID: 23906875 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2012] [Revised: 06/21/2013] [Accepted: 06/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the longitudinal relationship between pituitary gland volume (PGV) and parameters of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) functioning during adolescence. METHODS Participants were 49 adolescents (19 girls and 30 boys) selected from a larger longitudinal, population-based study of adolescent development. Assessments were conducted at three time points (S1, S2 and S3). MRI sessions were at S1 (age: M=12.62, SD=0.45 years) and S3 (M=16.48, SD=0.53 years) and multiple assessments of salivary cortisol were undertaken at S2 (M=15.51, SD=0.35 years). PGV was measured via previously validated manual tracing methods, and the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and diurnal slope (DSL) were used as indices of HPAA functioning. RESULTS A significant sex-linked interaction was found for PGV at S1 predicting both CAR (p=0.025) and DSL (p=0.009) at S2. Specifically, PGV at S1 significantly predicted CAR (p=0.033) and DSL (p=0.010) in boys only, with no significant results found for girls. Neither CAR nor DSL at S2 predicted growth of PGV from S1 to S3. CONCLUSIONS PGV in early adolescence predicted HPAA functioning in mid-adolescent boys but not in girls. The results suggest a significant influence of sex-specific development on the relationship between PGV and HPAA activity and reactivity. The findings have potential implications for understanding and interpreting sex-linked and stress related clinical disorders that emerge during mid-to-late adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kaess
- Orygen Youth Health Clinical Program, Northwestern Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia; Section for Disorders of Personality Development, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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Koolschijn PCMP, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Crone EA. Hippocampal volume and internalizing behavior problems in adolescence. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2013; 23:622-8. [PMID: 22824414 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2012.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2011] [Revised: 03/20/2012] [Accepted: 07/04/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is characterized by dynamic changes in structural brain maturation. At the same time, adolescence is a critical time for the development of affective and anxiety-related disorders. Individual differences in typically developing children and adolescents may prove more valuable for identifying which brain regions correspond with internalizing behavior problems (i.e., anxious/depressive, withdrawal and somatic symptoms) on a continuous scale compared to clinical studies. Participants were 179 (92 males, 87 females) typically developing children and adolescents between ages 8 and 17. Hippocampal and amygdala volumes were measured automatically with FreeSurfer. Internalizing behavior was assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) completed by the parent, and associated with hippocampal and amygdala volumes. Hippocampal volume was inversely related with the total internalizing problems scale of the CBCL, irrespective of gender, age, or informant (mother or father). The effects were most prominent for the withdrawal and anxiety/depression subscales and the left hippocampus: more withdrawal and anxiety/depression was related to smaller left hippocampal volume. No associations were found between internalizing behavior and amygdala volume. This study shows that typically developing children and adolescents with high internalizing behavior share some of the neuroanatomical features of adult depression and anxiety-related disorders.
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Pituitary volume mediates the relationship between pubertal timing and depressive symptoms during adolescence. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2012; 37:881-91. [PMID: 22071452 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2011] [Revised: 10/18/2011] [Accepted: 10/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Early timing of puberty (i.e., advanced pubertal maturation relative to peers) has been linked to the onset of depressive symptoms during the early adolescent phase. However, the precise neurobiological mechanisms linking early pubertal timing to adolescent depressive symptoms are not clear. We investigated whether the volume of the pituitary gland, a key component of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axes, mediated the relationship between pubertal timing and depressive symptoms in 155 adolescents (72 females) both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. At baseline (M age 12.7, SD 0.5 years), early pubertal timing predicted larger pituitary gland volume and higher depressive symptoms (especially for girls), but there was no mediation effect. Longitudinally, however, larger pituitary gland volume at baseline was found to mediate the relationship between early pubertal timing and increased depressive symptoms over time (M follow-up period=2.57 years, SD=0.26) for both boys and girls. Our findings suggest that neurobiological mechanisms are partly responsible for the link between early pubertal timing and depressive symptoms in adolescents. We speculate that an enlarged pituitary gland in adolescents with early pubertal timing might be associated with hyperactivation of the hormonal stress response, leading to increased susceptibility to environmental stressors, and subsequent development of depressive symptoms. Given the well-established relationship between increasing depressive symptoms in adolescence and later disorder, these findings have implications for targeted prevention and early intervention strategies for depressive disorders in adolescence.
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