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Brown ER, Gettler LT, Rosenbaum S. Effects of social environments on male primate HPG and HPA axis developmental programming. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22491. [PMID: 38698633 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Developmental plasticity is particularly important for humans and other primates because of our extended period of growth and maturation, during which our phenotypes adaptively respond to environmental cues. The hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axes are likely to be principal targets of developmental "programming" given their roles in coordinating fitness-relevant aspects of the phenotype, including sexual development, adult reproductive and social strategies, and internal responses to the external environment. In social animals, including humans, the social environment is believed to be an important source of cues to which these axes may adaptively respond. The effects of early social environments on the HPA axis have been widely studied in humans, and to some extent, in other primates, but there are still major gaps in knowledge specifically relating to males. There has also been relatively little research examining the role that social environments play in developmental programming of the HPG axis or the HPA/HPG interface, and what does exist disproportionately focuses on females. These topics are likely understudied in males in part due to the difficulty of identifying developmental milestones in males relative to females and the general quiescence of the HPG axis prior to maturation. However, there are clear indicators that early life social environments matter for both sexes. In this review, we examine what is known about the impact of social environments on HPG and HPA axis programming during male development in humans and nonhuman primates, including the role that epigenetic mechanisms may play in this programming. We conclude by highlighting important next steps in this research area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella R Brown
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
- Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Stacy Rosenbaum
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Augsburger P, Liimatta J, Flück CE. Update on Adrenarche-Still a Mystery. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2024; 109:1403-1422. [PMID: 38181424 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgae008] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
CONTEXT Adrenarche marks the timepoint of human adrenal development when the cortex starts secreting androgens in increasing amounts, in healthy children at age 8-9 years, with premature adrenarche (PA) earlier. Because the molecular regulation and significance of adrenarche are unknown, this prepubertal event is characterized descriptively, and PA is a diagnosis by exclusion with unclear long-term consequences. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION We searched the literature of the past 5 years, including original articles, reviews, and meta-analyses from PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus, using search terms adrenarche, pubarche, DHEAS, steroidogenesis, adrenal, and zona reticularis. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS Numerous studies addressed different topics of adrenarche and PA. Although basic studies on human adrenal development, zonation, and zona reticularis function enhanced our knowledge, the exact mechanism leading to adrenarche remains unsolved. Many regulators seem involved. A promising marker of adrenarche (11-ketotestosterone) was found in the 11-oxy androgen pathway. By current definition, the prevalence of PA can be as high as 9% to 23% in girls and 2% to 10% in boys, but only a subset of these children might face related adverse health outcomes. CONCLUSION New criteria for defining adrenarche and PA are needed to identify children at risk for later disease and to spare children with a normal variation. Further research is therefore required to understand adrenarche. Prospective, long-term studies should characterize prenatal or early postnatal developmental pathways that modulate trajectories of birth size, early postnatal growth, childhood overweight/obesity, adrenarche and puberty onset, and lead to abnormal sexual maturation, fertility, and other adverse outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Augsburger
- Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology, and Metabolism, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
- Department of BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jani Liimatta
- Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology, and Metabolism, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
- Department of BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland
- Kuopio Pediatric Research Unit (KuPRU), University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, 70029 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Christa E Flück
- Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology, and Metabolism, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
- Department of BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland
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Wang Z, Zhang B, Mu C, Qiao D, Chen H, Zhao Y, Cui H, Zhang R, Li S. Androgen levels in autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1371148. [PMID: 38779452 PMCID: PMC11109388 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1371148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Accumulating evidence suggests that the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) population exhibits altered hormone levels, including androgens. However, studies on the regulation of androgens, such as testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), in relation to sex differences in individuals with ASD are limited and inconsistent. We conducted the systematic review with meta-analysis to quantitatively summarise the blood, urine, or saliva androgen data between individuals with ASD and controls. Methods A systematic search was conducted for eligible studies published before 16 January 2023 in six international and two Chinese databases. We computed summary statistics with a random-effects model. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and heterogeneity using I2 statistics. Subgroup analysis was performed by age, sex, sample source, and measurement method to explain the heterogeneity. Results 17 case-control studies (individuals with ASD, 825; controls, 669) were assessed. Androgen levels were significantly higher in individuals with ASD than that in controls (SMD: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.06-0.48, P=0.01). Subgroup analysis showed significantly elevated levels of urinary total testosterone, urinary DHEA, and free testosterone in individuals with ASD. DHEA level was also significantly elevated in males with ASD. Conclusion Androgen levels, especially free testosterone, may be elevated in individuals with ASD and DHEA levels may be specifically elevated in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Wang
- Department of Anatomy, Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Bohan Zhang
- Department of Anatomy, Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Chenyu Mu
- Department of Anatomy, Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Dan Qiao
- Department of Anatomy, Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Huan Chen
- Department of Anatomy, Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease Mechanism, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- School of Nursing, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Huixian Cui
- Department of Anatomy, Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease Mechanism, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Committee of Health, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Autism Research Center of Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Sha Li
- Department of Anatomy, Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease Mechanism, Shijiazhuang, China
- The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of Education, Shijiazhuang, China
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Ji W, Li G, Hu Y, Zhang W, Wang J, Jiang F, Zhang Y, Wu F, Wei X, Li Y, Gao X, Manza P, Volkow ND, Wang GJ, Zhang Y. Associations among birthweight, adrenarche, brain morphometry and cognitive function in preterm children aged 9-11 years. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024:S2451-9022(24)00063-6. [PMID: 38417787 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preterm infants with low birthweight are at heightened risk of developmental sequelae, including neurological and cognitive dysfunction that can persist into adolescence or adulthood. In addition, preterm birth and low birthweight can provoke changes in endocrine and metabolic processes that likely impact brain health throughout development. However, few studies have examined associations among birthweight, pubertal endocrine process, long-term neurological and cognitive development. METHODS We investigated the associations between birthweight and brain morphometry, cognitive function, and onset of adrenarche assessed 9 to 11 years later in 3571 preterm and full-term children using the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development dataset. RESULTS The preterm children showed lower birthweight and early adrenarche, as expected. Birthweight was positively associated with cognitive function (all︱Cohen's d︱> 0.154, P < 0.005), global brain volumes (all︱Cohen's d︱> 0.170, P < 0.008) and regional volumes in frontal, temporal, and parietal cortices in preterm and full-term children (all︱Cohen's d︱> 0.170, P < 0.0007); and cortical volume in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC) partially mediated the effect of low birthweight on cognitive function in preterm children. In addition, adrenal score and cortical volume in the lOFC mediated the associations between birthweight and cognitive function only in preterm children. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight the impact of low birthweight on long-term brain structural and cognitive function development, and showed important associations with early onset of adrenarche during the puberty. This understanding may help with prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weibin Ji
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China; International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment & Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
| | - Guanya Li
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China; International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment & Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
| | - Yang Hu
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China; International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment & Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
| | - Wenchao Zhang
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China; International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment & Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
| | - Jia Wang
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China; International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment & Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
| | - Fukun Jiang
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China; International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment & Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
| | - Yaqi Zhang
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China; International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment & Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
| | - Feifei Wu
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China; International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment & Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
| | - Xiaorong Wei
- Kindergarten affiliated to Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Yuefeng Li
- Department of Neonatology, Shenzhen Luohu Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shenzhen 518103, China
| | - Xinbo Gao
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Image Cognition, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China; Chongqing Institute for Brain: a journal of neurology and Intelligence, Guangyang Bay Laboratory, Chongqing 400064, China
| | - Peter Manza
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nora D Volkow
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Gene-Jack Wang
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Yi Zhang
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China; International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment & Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China.
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Fox MM, Hahn-Holbrook J, Sandman CA, Marino JA, Glynn LM, Davis EP. Mothers' prenatal distress accelerates adrenal pubertal development in daughters. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 160:106671. [PMID: 38000239 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106671] [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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Human life history schedules vary, partly, because of adaptive, plastic responses to early-life conditions. Little is known about how prenatal conditions relate to puberty timing. We hypothesized that fetal exposure to adversity may induce an adaptive response in offspring maturational tempo. In a longitudinal study of 253 mother-child dyads followed for 15 years, we investigated if fetal exposure to maternal psychological distress related to children's adrenarche and gonadarche schedules, assessed by maternal and child report and by dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), testosterone, and estradiol levels. We found fetal exposure to elevated maternal prenatal psychological distress predicted earlier adrenarche and higher DHEA-S levels in girls, especially first-born girls, and that associations remained after covarying indices of postnatal adversity. No associations were observed for boys or for gonadarche in girls. Adrenarche orchestrates the social-behavioral transition from juvenility to adulthood; therefore, significant findings for adrenarche, but not gonadarche, suggest that prenatal maternal distress instigates an adaptive strategy in which daughters have earlier social-behavioral maturation. The stronger effect in first-borns suggests that, in adverse conditions, it is in the mother's adaptive interest for her daughter to hasten social maturation, but not necessarily sexual maturation, because it would prolong the duration of the daughter allomothering younger siblings. We postulate a novel evolutionary framework that human mothers may calibrate the timing of first-born daughters' maturation in a way that optimizes their own reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly M Fox
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | | | - Curt A Sandman
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92868, USA
| | - Jessica A Marino
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
| | - Laura M Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, 92866, USA
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, 80208, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92868, USA
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Jones SL, De Braga V, Caccese C, Lew J, Elgbeili G, Castellanos-Ryan N, Parent S, Muckle G, Herba CM, Fraser WD, Ducharme S, Barnwell J, Trasler J, Séguin JR, Nguyen TV, Montreuil TC. Prenatal paternal anxiety symptoms predict child DHEA levels and internalizing symptoms during adrenarche. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 17:1217846. [PMID: 38239262 PMCID: PMC10794355 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1217846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction This study examined (1) whether measures of paternal anxious and depressive symptoms collected prenatally and during a follow-up assessment when the child was in middle childhood, predict child neuroendocrine outcomes, and (2) whether neuroendocrine outcomes are intermediate factors between paternal mental health and child cognitive/behavioral outcomes. Middle childhood coincides with increased autonomy as the child transitions into grade school, and with adrenarche, as the maturing adrenal gland increases secretion of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfated metabolite (DHEA-S), hormones that are implicated in corticolimbic development which regulate emotions and cognition. Methods Participants were recruited from a subsample of a large prospective birth cohort study (3D study). We conducted a follow-up study when children were 6-8 years old (N = 61 families, 36 boys, 25 girls). Parental symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression were assessed via validated self-report questionnaires: prenatally using an in-house anxiety questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D), and at the follow up, using the Beck Anxiety and Beck Depression Inventories. Children provided salivary hormone samples, and their pituitary gland volume was measured from structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans. Child behaviors were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and cognitive outcomes using the WISC-V. Multiple regression analyses were used to test whether paternal mental health symptoms assessed prenatally and during childhood are associated with child neuroendocrine outcomes, adjusting for maternal mental health and child sex. Indirect-effect models assessed whether neuroendocrine factors are important intermediates that link paternal mental health and cognitive/behavioral outcomes. Results (1) Fathers' prenatal anxiety symptoms predicted lower DHEA levels in the children, but not pituitary volume. (2) Higher prenatal paternal anxiety symptoms predicted higher child internalizing symptoms via an indirect pathway of lower child DHEA. No associations were detected between paternal anxiety symptoms measured in childhood, and neuroendocrine outcomes. No child sex differences were detected on any measure. Conclusion These results highlight the often-overlooked role of paternal factors during pregnancy on child development, suggesting that paternal prenatal anxiety symptoms are associated with child neuroendocrine function and in turn internalizing symptoms that manifest at least up to middle childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherri Lee Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Research Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Victoria De Braga
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- School of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Christina Caccese
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jimin Lew
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Guillaume Elgbeili
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Research Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Sophie Parent
- School of Psychoeducation, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Québec, School of Psychology, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Catherine M. Herba
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Ste-Justine Research Centre, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - William D. Fraser
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Ste-Justine Research Centre, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Sherbrooke, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Simon Ducharme
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Research Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Julia Barnwell
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Human Genetics and Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jacquetta Trasler
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Human Genetics and Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jean R. Séguin
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Ste-Justine Research Centre, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Tuong-Vi Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Reproductive Psychiatry Program, McGill University Health Centre, Departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Tina C. Montreuil
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Ste-Justine Research Centre, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Ash H, Goy RW, Spaulding A, Colman RJ, Corbett CJ, Ziegler TE. Cognitive development from infancy to young adulthood in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus): Effect of age, sex, and hormones on learning and affective state. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22430. [PMID: 37860906 PMCID: PMC10804839 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22430] [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: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Studies looking at individual variability in cognition have increased in recent years. We followed 43 marmosets (21 males, 22 females) from infancy to young adulthood. At 3-months old, marmosets were trained to touch a rewarded stimulus. At 9-, 15-, and 21-months old, they were given visual discrimination and cognitive bias tests, and urine samples were collected to examine hormone levels. Marmosets were significantly more successful learners at 15 months than 9 months. Individuals who were more successful learners at 9 months were also more successful at 15 months, with more male learners than expected at 15 months. At 9 months, learning success was associated with higher cortisol levels. At 15 months, males with higher estradiol levels were more successful learners, whereas at 21 months, females with higher estradiol and cortisol levels tended to be less successful learners and more pessimistic. Nine months, therefore, appears to be an important developmental timepoint for acquiring cognitive control, which has developed by 15 months. Steroids may have differential effects on each sex, with complex interactions between gonadal and adrenal hormones having an influence on cognitive function over the lifespan. This longitudinal study offers new insight into cognition, including its development and biological underpinnings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley Ash
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC), University of Wisconsin, Madison WI, United States
| | - Robinson W. Goy
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC), University of Wisconsin, Madison WI, United States
| | - Abigail Spaulding
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC), University of Wisconsin, Madison WI, United States
| | - Ricki J. Colman
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC), University of Wisconsin, Madison WI, United States
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI, United States
| | - Cody J. Corbett
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC), University of Wisconsin, Madison WI, United States
| | - Toni E. Ziegler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC), University of Wisconsin, Madison WI, United States
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8
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Urlacher SS. The energetics of childhood: Current knowledge and insights into human variation, evolution, and health. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 36866969 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
How organisms capture and ultimately use metabolic energy-a limiting resource of life-has profound implications for understanding evolutionary legacies and current patterns of phenotypic variation, adaptation, and health. Energetics research among humans has a rich history in biological anthropology and beyond. The energetics of childhood, however, remains relatively underexplored. This shortcoming is notable given the accepted importance of childhood in the evolution of the unique human life history pattern as well as the known sensitivity of childhood development to local environments and lived experiences. In this review, I have three objectives: (1) To overview current knowledge regarding how children acquire and use energy, highlighting work among diverse human populations and pointing to recent advances and remaining areas of uncertainty; (2) To discuss key applications of this knowledge for understanding human variation, evolution, and health; (3) To recommend future avenues for research. A growing body of evidence supports a model of trade-offs and constraint in childhood energy expenditure. This model, combined with advancements on topics such as the energetics of immune activity, the brain, and the gut, provides insights into the evolution of extended human subadulthood and the nature of variation in childhood development, lifetime phenotype, and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel S Urlacher
- Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
- Child and Brain Development Program, CIFAR, Toronto, Canada
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Helfrecht C, Wang H, Dira SJ, DeAvila D, Meehan CL. DHEAS and nutritional status among Sidama, Ngandu, and Aka children: Effects of cortisol and implications for adrenarche. Am J Hum Biol 2023:e23881. [PMID: 36802115 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Adrenarche, the biological event marked by rising production of dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate (DHEAS), may represent a sensitive period in child development, with important implications for adolescence and beyond. Nutritional status, particularly BMI and/or adiposity, has long been hypothesized as a factor in DHEAS production but findings are inconsistent, and few studies have examined this among non-industrialized societies. In addition, cortisol has not been included in these models. We here evaluate effects of height- (HAZ), weight- (WAZ), and BMI- (BMIZ) for-age on DHEAS concentrations among Sidama agropastoralist, Ngandu horticulturalist, and Aka hunter-gatherer children. METHODS Heights and weights were collected from 206 children aged 2-18 years old. HAZ, WAZ, and BMIZ were calculated using CDC standards. DHEAS and cortisol assays were used to determine biomarker concentrations in hair. Generalized linear modeling was used to examine effects of nutritional status on DHEAS concentrations, as well as cortisol, controlling for age, sex, and population. RESULTS Despite the prevalence of low HAZ and WAZ scores, the majority (77%) of children had BMI z-scores >-2.0 SD. Nutritional status has no significant effect on DHEAS concentrations, controlling for age, sex, and population. Cortisol, however, is a significant predictor of DHEAS concentrations. CONCLUSIONS Our findings do not support a relationship between nutritional status and DHEAS. Instead, results suggest an important role for stress and ecology in DHEAS concentrations across childhood. Specifically, effects of environment via cortisol may be influential to patterning of DHEAS. Future work should investigate local ecological stressors and their relationship to adrenarche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Helfrecht
- Department of Anthropology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Hui Wang
- Institute for Rural Health Research, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Samuel J Dira
- Department of Anthropology, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - David DeAvila
- Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Courtney L Meehan
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
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Wiglesworth A, Fiecas MB, Xu M, Neher AT, Padilla L, Carosella KA, Roediger DJ, Mueller BA, Luciana M, Klimes-Dougan B, Cullen KR. Sex and age variations in the impact of puberty on cortical thickness and associations with internalizing symptoms and suicidal ideation in early adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 59:101195. [PMID: 36621021 PMCID: PMC9849871 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101195] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The childhood-to-adolescence transition is a notable period of change including pubertal development, neurodevelopment, and psychopathology onset, that occurs in divergent patterns between sexes. This study examined the effects of sex and puberty on cortical thickness (CT) in children and explored whether CT changes over time related to emergence of psychopathology in early adolescence. METHODS We used longitudinal data (baseline ages 9-10 and Year 2 [Y2] ages 11-12) from the ABCD Study (n = 9985). Linear and penalized function-on-function regressions modeled the impact of puberty, as it interacts with sex, on CT. Focusing on regions that showed sex differences, linear and logistic regressions modeled associations between change in CT and internalizing problems and suicide ideation. RESULTS We identified significant sex differences in the inverse relation between puberty and CT in fifteen primarily posterior brain regions. Nonlinear pubertal effects across age were identified in the fusiform, isthmus cingulate, paracentral, and precuneus. All effects were stronger for females relative to males during this developmental window. We did not identify associations between CT change and early adolescent clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION During this age range, puberty is most strongly associated with regional changes in CT in females, which may have implications for the later emergence of psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark B Fiecas
- Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, USA
| | - Meng Xu
- Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, USA
| | - Aidan T Neher
- Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, USA
| | - Laura Padilla
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, USA
| | | | - Donovan J Roediger
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, USA
| | - Bryon A Mueller
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, USA
| | - Monica Luciana
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, USA
| | | | - Kathryn R Cullen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, USA
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