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Girls' pubertal development is associated with white matter microstructure in late adolescence
Rajpreet Chahal1, Veronika Vilgis2, Kevin J Grimm3
1University of California, Davis, Department of Human Ecology, One Shields Avenue, CA, 95618, United States; University of California, Davis, Center for Mind & Brain, 267 Cousteau Place, Davis, CA, 95618, United States.
Neuroimage
|July 30, 2018
Summary
Early puberty in girls is linked to brain structure changes. Advanced pubertal status and earlier timing correlate with white matter (WM) microstructure development, potentially impacting emotional regulation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Pubertal maturation patterns correlate with emotion dysregulation vulnerability and white matter (WM) development in girls.
- Individual differences in pubertal status, timing, and tempo may offer insights into neurobiological mechanisms of emotional well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate associations between pubertal maturation (status, timing, tempo) and WM microstructure development in girls.
- To identify specific pubertal characteristics linked to neural signatures relevant to emotional health.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of 107 girls.
- Examined pubertal status at age 9, pubertal timing and tempo from ages 9-15.
- Assessed WM microstructure at age 19 using tract-based spatial statistics.
Main Results:
- Advanced pubertal status at age 9 (gonadal changes) associated with higher fractional anisotropy and lower mean diffusivity (MD) in emotion/cognition tracts.
- Earlier pubertal timing linked to lower MD in the left anterior cingulum bundle.
- Pubertal tempo was not significantly related to WM measures.
Conclusions:
- Specific aspects of pubertal maturation are implicated in subsequent WM microstructure development.
- Findings suggest potential neuroendocrine mechanisms influencing emotional development in girls.
- Further longitudinal research with neuroimaging and pubertal measures is warranted.