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Glass DJ, Reiches M, Clarkin P. Coming of age in war: Early life adversity, age at menarche, and mental health. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 169:107153. [PMID: 39128396 PMCID: PMC11381149 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Armed conflict and forced migration (ACFM) represent a set of extreme environments that are increasingly common for children and adolescents to experience. Adolescence may constitute a sensitive period (puberty and psychoneurological maturation) through which ACFM adversity leaves a lasting mark. Adolescence has become a focal point for analysis and intervention as it relates to the effects of early life adversity on puberty, linear growth, and mental health. Research in public health and psychological science suggests early life adversity (ELA) may accelerate puberty, heightening risks for mental health disorders. However, it is not well substantiated whether ACFM-derived adversities accelerate or delay relative pubertal timing. Secondly, ACFM provides salient context through which to probe the relationships between nutritional, psychosocial, and demographic changes and their respective impact on puberty and mental health. We conducted a narrative review which 1) examined constructions of early life adversity and their proposed influence on puberty 2) reviewed empirical findings (n = 29 studies, n = 36 samples) concerning effects of ACFM ELA on age at menarche and 3) discussed proposed relationships between early life adversity, puberty, and mental ill-health. Contrary to prior research, we found war-derived early life adversity was more consistently associated with pubertal delay than acceleration and may exert counterintuitive effects on mental health. We show that ELA cannot be operationalized in the same way across contexts and populations, especially in the presence of extreme forms of human stress and resilience. We further discuss the ethics of puberty research among conflict-affected youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delaney J Glass
- University of Washington, Department of Anthropology, Seattle, WA, USA; University of Toronto - St. George, Department of Anthropology, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Shaul M, Whittle S, Silk TJ, Vijayakumar N. Pubertal timing mediates the association between threat adversity and psychopathology. Psychol Med 2024:1-11. [PMID: 39324385 DOI: 10.1017/s003329172400179x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to adversity in childhood is a risk factor for lifetime mental health problems. Altered pace of biological aging, as measured through pubertal timing, is one potential explanatory pathway for this risk. This study examined whether pubertal timing mediated the association between adversity (threat and deprivation) and adolescent mental health problems (internalizing and externalizing), and whether this was moderated by sex. METHODS Aims were examined using the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study, a large community sample from the United States. Data were used from three timepoints across the ages of 9-14 years. Latent scores from confirmatory factor analysis operationalized exposure to threat and deprivation. Bayesian mixed-effects regression models tested whether pubertal timing in early adolescence mediated the relationship between adversity exposure and later internalizing and externalizing problems. Sex was examined as a potential moderator of this pathway. RESULTS Both threat and deprivation were associated with later internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Threat, but not deprivation, was associated with earlier pubertal timing, which mediated the association of threat with internalizing and externalizing problems. Sex differences were only observed in the direct association between adversity and internalizing problems, but no such differences were present for mediating pathways. CONCLUSIONS Adversity exposure had similar associations with the pace of biological aging (as indexed by pubertal timing) and mental health problems in males and females. However, the association of adversity on pubertal timing appears to depend on the dimension of adversity experienced, with only threat conferring risk of earlier pubertal timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Shaul
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Timothy J Silk
- Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, Faculty of Health, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nandita Vijayakumar
- Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, Faculty of Health, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Bakshi P, Shetty SB, Sharma A, K G V, Pai K, K R, D'Souza PR, N S R. A study of association between early menarche and anxiety in undergraduate students. F1000Res 2024; 13:807. [PMID: 39169953 PMCID: PMC11336558 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.149757.2] [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] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Anxiety has been reported to be one of the most common epidemics in recent years. The present study focused on understanding the association between early menarche and the prevalence of anxiety and anxiety symptoms among adult undergraduate students. Methods This was an observational, case-control study. The sample included 146 young female adults aged more than or equal to 18 years pursuing the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Dental Sciences (BDS). Using an online questionnaire, participants were asked to recall and enter the age at which they attained menarche. We used the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7- Item Questionnaire (GAD-7) to measure the severity of their present anxiety symptoms. Results The results showed a significant increase in anxiety symptoms in participants who had early menarche compared to those who did not have early menarche. The mean score on the GAD-7 Questionnaire for the cases was 9.93 and the control group was 6.89. The GAD-7 scores among the cases group were significantly higher in the GAD-7 scores than in the control group. Conclusions This study concluded that early menarche is associated with higher anxiety levels in young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poorva Bakshi
- Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Sharanya B. Shetty
- Department of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Abira Sharma
- Department of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Vasudha K G
- Department of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Keshava Pai
- Department of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Radhika K
- Department of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Priyanka Renita D'Souza
- Department of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Reshma N S
- Department of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
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Wiltshire CN, Kouri N, Wanna CP, Minton ST, France JM, Reda MH, Davie W, Basarkod S, Winters S, Hinrichs R, Stenson AF, Jovanovic T. Resting heart rate associations with violence exposure and posttraumatic stress symptoms: sex differences in children. Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:28. [PMID: 38549155 PMCID: PMC10976797 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-024-00606-2] [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: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traumatic events experienced in childhood can lead to increased risk of cardiovascular disorders in adulthood. Black Americans are disproportionately affected, as they are at increased risk for experiencing childhood trauma and cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. One of the hypothesized mechanisms of this association is through long-lasting dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system, a hallmark physiological biomarker of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is twice as prevalent in women compared to men. METHODS Ninety-one, majority Black American children, aged 9 were recruited to be a part of our longitudinal study of child development at research centers in Atlanta, GA and Detroit, MI. Resting HR was measured through a electrocardiogram (ECG) recording using the Biopac MP150. Self-report measures of violence exposure and PTSD symptoms were administered by research staff. RESULTS Children with more violence exposure reported increased PTSS as well as lower resting HR. Regression analysis showed evidence of sex modifying this relationship, (B = -0.64, p < 0.05), such that the association between resting HR and PTSS was stronger in girls than in boys. In our exploratory analysis with standard clinical cutoffs of resting HR, the normative HR group was found to significantly moderate the relationship between violence exposure and PTSS in boys, (B = -2.14, p < 0.01), but not girls (B = -0.94, p = 0.27). CONCLUSION In our sample of primarily Black urban children, we found that violence exposure was associated with slower, more adult-like HR, that girls showed greater PTSS associated with slower HR while boys did not, and that girls with lower than normative HR showed significantly higher PTSS compared to girls with normative HR. Our sample's demonstration of psychological consequences in addition to the physiological implications could provide new information about a psychobiological sequelae of violence exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charis N Wiltshire
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Chrysler Service Dr, Detroit, MI, 48201, US.
- Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, 69 Jesse Hill Jr Dr. SE, 30303, Atlanta, GA, US.
| | - Nicole Kouri
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Chrysler Service Dr, Detroit, MI, 48201, US
| | - Cassandra P Wanna
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Chrysler Service Dr, Detroit, MI, 48201, US
| | - Sean T Minton
- Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, 69 Jesse Hill Jr Dr. SE, 30303, Atlanta, GA, US
| | - John M France
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Chrysler Service Dr, Detroit, MI, 48201, US
| | - Mariam H Reda
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Chrysler Service Dr, Detroit, MI, 48201, US
| | - William Davie
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Chrysler Service Dr, Detroit, MI, 48201, US
| | - Sattvik Basarkod
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Chrysler Service Dr, Detroit, MI, 48201, US
| | - Sterling Winters
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Chrysler Service Dr, Detroit, MI, 48201, US
| | - Rebecca Hinrichs
- Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, 69 Jesse Hill Jr Dr. SE, 30303, Atlanta, GA, US
| | - Anais F Stenson
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Chrysler Service Dr, Detroit, MI, 48201, US
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Chrysler Service Dr, Detroit, MI, 48201, US
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Ding W, Xu Y, Kondracki AJ, Sun Y. Childhood adversity and accelerated reproductive events: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2024; 230:315-329.e31. [PMID: 37820985 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2023.10.005] [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: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Accelerated female reproductive events represent the early onset of reproductive events involving puberty, menarche, pregnancy loss, first sexual intercourse, first birth, parity, and menopause. This study aimed to explore the association between childhood adversity and accelerated female reproductive events. DATA SOURCES PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were systematically searched from September 22, 2022 to September 23, 2022. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Observational cohort, cross-sectional, and case-control studies in human populations were included if they reported the time of reproductive events for female individuals with experience of childhood adversity and were published in English. METHODS Two reviewers independently screened studies, obtained data, and assessed study quality, and conflicts were resolved by a third reviewer. Dichotomous outcomes were evaluated using meta-analysis, and pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were generated using random-effects models. Moderation analysis and meta-regression were used to investigate heterogeneity. RESULTS In total, 21 cohort studies, 9 cross-sectional studies, and 3 case-control studies were identified. Overall, female individuals with childhood adversity were nearly 2 times more likely to report accelerated reproductive events than those with no adversity exposure (odds ratio, 1.91; 95% confidence interval, 1.33-2.76; I2=99.6%; P<.001). Moderation analysis indicated that effect sizes for the types of childhood adversity ranged from an odds ratio of 1.61 (95% confidence interval, 1.23-2.09) for low socioeconomic status to 2.13 (95% confidence interval, 1.14-3.99) for dysfunctional family dynamics. Among the 7 groups based on different reproductive events, including early onset of puberty, early menarche, early sexual initiation, teenage childbirth, preterm birth, pregnancy loss, and early menopause, early sexual initiation had a nonsignificant correlation with childhood adversity (odds ratio, 2.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.88-8.30; I2=99.9%; P<.001). Considerable heterogeneity (I2>75%) between estimates was observed for over half of the outcomes. Age, study type, and method of data collection could explain 35.9% of the variance. CONCLUSION The literature tentatively corroborates that female individuals who reported adverse events in childhood are more likely to experience accelerated reproductive events. This association is especially strong for exposure to abuse and dysfunctional family dynamics. However, the heterogeneity among studies was high, requiring caution in interpreting the findings and highlighting the need for further evaluation of the types and timing of childhood events that influence accelerated female reproductive events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenqin Ding
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yuxiang Xu
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Anthony J Kondracki
- Department of Community Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, GA
| | - Ying Sun
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
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Ho TC, Buthmann J, Chahal R, Miller JG, Gotlib IH. Exploring sex differences in trajectories of pubertal development and mental health following early adversity. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 161:106944. [PMID: 38171040 PMCID: PMC10842731 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Despite evidence that early life adversity (ELA) affects mental health in adolescence, we know little about sex differences in how distinct dimensions of adversity affect development and their corresponding effects on mental health. In this three-wave longitudinal study, 209 participants (118 females; ages 9-13 years at baseline) provided objective (salivary hormones, BMI, age of menarche) and subjective (perceived gonadal and adrenal status) measures of puberty and physical development, and reported on levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms at all timepoints. Participants also reported lifetime exposure to three distinct types of ELA: deprivation, threat, and unpredictability. Using generalized additive mixed models, we tested within each sex whether dimensions of adversity were associated with longitudinal changes in measures of pubertal and physical development, and whether these indices of development were associated with trajectories of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. In females, experiences of threat and unpredictability were significantly associated with earlier pubertal timing (e.g., age of menarche) whereas experiences of deprivation were associated with steeper increases in BMI; further, faster pubertal tempo (i.e., steeper increases in pubertal stage) was associated with increases in internalizing and externalizing symptoms. In males, however, ELA was not associated with any measures of pubertal or physical development or with symptoms. Together, our results suggest that adverse experiences during early life have sex-selective consequences for pubertal and physical maturation and mental health trajectories in ways that may elucidate why females are at higher risk for mental health difficulties during puberty, particularly following exposure to unpredictable and threatening experiences of adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany C Ho
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jessica Buthmann
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Rajpreet Chahal
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Jonas G Miller
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.
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Granata L, Fanikos M, Brenhouse HC. Early life adversity accelerates hypothalamic drive of pubertal timing in female rats with associated enhanced acoustic startle. Horm Behav 2024; 159:105478. [PMID: 38241961 PMCID: PMC10926229 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Early life adversity in the form of childhood maltreatment in humans or as modeled by maternal separation (MS) in rodents is often associated with an earlier emergence of puberty in females. Earlier pubertal initiation is an example of accelerated biological aging and predicts later risk for anxiety in women, especially in populations exposed to early life trauma. Here we investigated external pubertal markers as well as hypothalamic gene expression of pubertal regulators kisspeptin and gonadotropin-releasing hormone, to determine a biological substrate for MS-induced accelerated puberty. We further investigated a mechanism by which developmental stress might regulate pubertal timing. As kisspeptin and gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion are typically inhibited by corticotropin releasing hormone at its receptor CRH-R1, we hypothesized that MS induces a downregulation of Crhr1 gene transcription in a cell-specific manner. Finally, we explored the association between pubertal timing and anxiety-like behavior in an acoustic startle paradigm, to drive future preclinical research linking accelerated puberty and anxiety. We replicated previous findings that MS leads to earlier puberty in females but not males, and found expression of kisspeptin and gonadotropin-releasing hormone mRNA to be prematurely increased in MS females. RNAscope confirmed increased expression of these genes, and further revealed that kisspeptin-expressing neurons in females were less likely to express Crhr1 after MS. Early puberty was associated with higher acoustic startle magnitude in females. Taken together, these findings indicate precocial maturation of central pubertal timing mechanisms after MS, as well as a potential role of CRH-R1 in these effects and an association with a translational measure of anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Granata
- Psychology Department, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Michaela Fanikos
- Psychology Department, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Heather C Brenhouse
- Psychology Department, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States of America.
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Stadtler H, Neigh GN. Sex Differences in the Neurobiology of Stress. Psychiatr Clin North Am 2023; 46:427-446. [PMID: 37500242 DOI: 10.1016/j.psc.2023.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
This review highlights the existing knowledge and data that explain the physiologic impacts of stress, especially pertaining to neurobiology, and how these impacts differ by sex. Furthermore, this review explains the benefits of interventions aimed at preventing or mitigating the adverse effects of stress, because of both the significant toll of stress on the body and the disproportionate impact of these changes experienced by women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Stadtler
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, 1101 East Marshall Street Box 980709, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Gretchen N Neigh
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, 1101 East Marshall Street Box 980709, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
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Diaz-Thomas AM, Golden SH, Dabelea DM, Grimberg A, Magge SN, Safer JD, Shumer DE, Stanford FC. Endocrine Health and Health Care Disparities in the Pediatric and Sexual and Gender Minority Populations: An Endocrine Society Scientific Statement. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2023; 108:1533-1584. [PMID: 37191578 PMCID: PMC10653187 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgad124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine care of pediatric and adult patients continues to be plagued by health and health care disparities that are perpetuated by the basic structures of our health systems and research modalities, as well as policies that impact access to care and social determinants of health. This scientific statement expands the Society's 2012 statement by focusing on endocrine disease disparities in the pediatric population and sexual and gender minority populations. These include pediatric and adult lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) persons. The writing group focused on highly prevalent conditions-growth disorders, puberty, metabolic bone disease, type 1 (T1D) and type 2 (T2D) diabetes mellitus, prediabetes, and obesity. Several important findings emerged. Compared with females and non-White children, non-Hispanic White males are more likely to come to medical attention for short stature. Racially and ethnically diverse populations and males are underrepresented in studies of pubertal development and attainment of peak bone mass, with current norms based on European populations. Like adults, racial and ethnic minority youth suffer a higher burden of disease from obesity, T1D and T2D, and have less access to diabetes treatment technologies and bariatric surgery. LGBTQIA youth and adults also face discrimination and multiple barriers to endocrine care due to pathologizing sexual orientation and gender identity, lack of culturally competent care providers, and policies. Multilevel interventions to address these disparities are required. Inclusion of racial, ethnic, and LGBTQIA populations in longitudinal life course studies is needed to assess growth, puberty, and attainment of peak bone mass. Growth and development charts may need to be adapted to non-European populations. In addition, extension of these studies will be required to understand the clinical and physiologic consequences of interventions to address abnormal development in these populations. Health policies should be recrafted to remove barriers in care for children with obesity and/or diabetes and for LGBTQIA children and adults to facilitate comprehensive access to care, therapeutics, and technological advances. Public health interventions encompassing collection of accurate demographic and social needs data, including the intersection of social determinants of health with health outcomes, and enactment of population health level interventions will be essential tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia M Diaz-Thomas
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Sherita Hill Golden
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Dana M Dabelea
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Adda Grimberg
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sheela N Magge
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Joshua D Safer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Bone Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10001, USA
| | - Daniel E Shumer
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Fatima Cody Stanford
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Medicine-Division of Endocrinology-Neuroendocrine, Department of Pediatrics-Division of Endocrinology, Nutrition Obesity Research Center at Harvard (NORCH), Boston, MA 02114, USA
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Vijayakumar N, Whittle S. A systematic review into the role of pubertal timing and the social environment in adolescent mental health problems. Clin Psychol Rev 2023; 102:102282. [PMID: 37094393 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nandita Vijayakumar
- Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia; Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia
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McCullough KM, Katrinli S, Hartmann J, Lori A, Klengel C, Missig G, Klengel T, Langford NA, Newman EL, Anderson KJ, Smith AK, Carroll FI, Ressler KJ, Carlezon WA. Blood levels of T-Cell Receptor Excision Circles (TRECs) provide an index of exposure to traumatic stress in mice and humans. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:423. [PMID: 36192377 PMCID: PMC9530209 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02159-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to stress triggers biological changes throughout the body. Accumulating evidence indicates that alterations in immune system function are associated with the development of stress-associated illnesses such as major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, increasing interest in identifying immune markers that provide insight into mental health. Recombination events during T-cell receptor rearrangement and T-cell maturation in the thymus produce circular DNA fragments called T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) that can be utilized as indicators of thymic function and numbers of newly emigrating T-cells. Given data suggesting that stress affects thymus function, we examined whether blood levels of TRECs might serve as a quantitative peripheral index of cumulative stress exposure and its physiological correlates. We hypothesized that chronic stress exposure would compromise thymus function and produce corresponding decreases in levels of TRECs. In male mice, exposure to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) produced thymic involution, adrenal hypertrophy, and decreased levels of TRECs in blood. Extending these studies to humans revealed robust inverse correlations between levels of circulating TRECs and childhood emotional and physical abuse. Cell-type specific analyses also revealed associations between TREC levels and blood cell composition, as well as cell-type specific methylation changes in CD4T + and CD8T + cells. Additionally, TREC levels correlated with epigenetic age acceleration, a common biomarker of stress exposure. Our findings demonstrate alignment between findings in mice and humans and suggest that blood-borne TRECs are a translationally-relevant biomarker that correlates with, and provides insight into, the cumulative physiological and immune-related impacts of stress exposure in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth M McCullough
- Basic Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Seyma Katrinli
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jakob Hartmann
- Basic Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Adriana Lori
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Claudia Klengel
- Basic Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Galen Missig
- Basic Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Torsten Klengel
- Basic Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Nicole A Langford
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Emily L Newman
- Basic Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Kasey J Anderson
- Basic Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Alicia K Smith
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - F Ivy Carroll
- Center for Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Basic Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - William A Carlezon
- Basic Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
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Granata L, Gildawie KR, Ismail N, Brenhouse HC, Kopec AM. Immune signaling as a node of interaction between systems that sex-specifically develop during puberty and adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 57:101143. [PMID: 35933922 PMCID: PMC9357835 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is pivotal for neural and behavioral development across species. During this period, maturation occurs in several biological systems, the most well-recognized being activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis marking pubertal onset. Increasing comparative studies of sex differences have enriched our understanding of systems integration during neurodevelopment. In recent years, immune signaling has emerged as a key node of interaction between a variety of biological signaling processes. Herein, we review the age- and sex-specific changes that occur in neural, hypothalamic-pituitary, and microbiome systems during adolescence. We then describe how immune signaling interacts with these systems, and review recent preclinical evidence indicating that immune signaling may play a central role in integrating changes in their typical and atypical development during adolescence. Finally, we discuss the translational relevance of these preclinical studies to human health and wellness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Granata
- Northeastern University, 125 Nightingale Hall, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Kelsea R Gildawie
- Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westboro Rd. North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
| | - Nafissa Ismail
- University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Vanier Hall 2076A, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada.
| | | | - Ashley M Kopec
- Albany Medical College, 43 New Scotland Ave., Albany, NY 12208, USA.
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13
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Colich NL, McLaughlin KA. Accelerated pubertal development as a mechanism linking trauma exposure with depression and anxiety in adolescence. Curr Opin Psychol 2022; 46:101338. [PMID: 35430517 PMCID: PMC9378424 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to early-life adversity (ELA) is associated with elevated risk for depression and anxiety disorders in adolescence. Identifying mechanisms through which ELA contributes to the emergence of depression and anxiety is necessary to design preventive interventions. One potential mechanism linking exposure to ELA with psychopathology is accelerated pubertal development. Exposure to trauma-specifically interpersonal violence-is associated with earlier pubertal timing, which in turn predicts adolescent-onset depression and anxiety disorders. We review the recent literature on adversity and accelerated pubertal development, exploring specific associations between trauma and accelerated pubertal development as a mechanism linking adversity with depression and anxiety disorders in adolescence. Finally, we suggest future directions for research exploring mechanisms linking ELA with accelerated pubertal development as well as pubertal timing and psychopathology in adolescence.
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