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Increased functional connectivity with puberty in the mentalising network involved in social emotion processing
Eduard T Klapwijk1, Anne-Lise Goddings, Stephanie Burnett Heyes
1Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK.
Puberty advances functional brain connectivity in adolescent girls. Increased oestradiol and pubertal stage enhance social brain network connections, particularly between the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and other regions during social emotion processing.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Adolescent Health
Background:
- Puberty significantly impacts brain development, yet its influence on functional brain connectivity, especially in social-emotional processing, remains understudied.
- Understanding these changes is crucial for comprehending adolescent social cognition and emotional regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between pubertal development indicators and functional connectivity within the social brain network during emotion processing in adolescent females.
- To identify specific hormonal and developmental markers associated with changes in neural network function.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used with psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis in 11-13-year-old girls.
- Participants processed social versus basic emotions via scenario reading.
- Pubertal status (stage, menarche) and hormone levels (testosterone, estradiol, DHEA) were assessed.
Main Results:
- Increased functional connectivity was observed between the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) and the right posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) and temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) during social emotion processing.
- Higher estradiol levels correlated with stronger DMPFC-TPJ connectivity during social emotion tasks.
- Advanced pubertal stage was linked to enhanced DMPFC-left anterior temporal cortex (ATC) connectivity, independent of age.
Conclusions:
- Advancing puberty is associated with functional maturation of the social brain network in adolescent girls.
- Hormonal changes, particularly estradiol, play a role in refining social-emotional brain circuitry during adolescence.
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