Attenuated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning predicts accelerated pubertal development in girls 1 year...

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Developmental Psychology
• Stress Research

Background:

• Accelerated pubertal development is linked to adverse early environments and increased health risks.
• The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a proposed mechanism linking stress to pubertal timing.
• Prospective studies examining this HPA axis mechanism are lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively investigate the relationship between stress-induced cortisol responses and pubertal development in youth.
• To examine whether HPA axis functioning mediates the link between early adversity and accelerated puberty.

Main Methods:

• Assessed 277 youth (138 boys, 139 girls) aged approximately 10.8 years.
• Measured pubertal development and cortisol response to the Trier Social Stress Test for Children at baseline.
• Re-assessed pubertal development approximately 1 year later.

Main Results:

• In girls, lower cortisol area under the curve at baseline predicted more advanced pubertal development at follow-up.
• This association was specific to adrenal pubertal development and persisted after controlling for covariates.
• No significant links were found between cortisol and pubertal development in boys.

Conclusions:

• Attenuated cortisol, potentially reflecting early adversity, may contribute to accelerated pubertal tempo in girls.
• Findings suggest a potential HPA axis pathway linking early adversity to pubertal timing in females.
• Gender differences in the cortisol-pubertal development relationship warrant further investigation.