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The Pubertal Stress Recalibration Hypothesis: Potential Neural and Behavioral Consequences
Carrie E DePasquale1, Max P Herzberg2, Megan R Gunnar1
1University of Minnesota.
Child Development Perspectives
|December 20, 2021
Summary
Puberty offers a critical window to reset stress systems altered by early adversity, impacting brain and behavior development. Understanding this recalibration is key to addressing psychopathology in youth.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Early life adversity can alter stress-responsive systems in youth.
- The pubertal period is a sensitive phase for neurodevelopment and system recalibration.
- Understanding these changes is crucial for addressing psychopathology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the literature on pubertal stress recalibration following early adversity.
- To explore the impact of this recalibration on brain and behavioral development.
- To inform understanding of psychopathology development in adolescents.
Main Methods:
- Cross-species literature review.
- Examination of human hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis recalibration.
- Review of rodent research on stress hormone mechanisms.
- Summary of human neuroimaging studies on behavior.
Main Results:
- Pubertal recalibration of stress systems is a significant factor in development.
- Stress hormones influence brain structure and function during adolescence.
- Neuroimaging reveals links between these mechanisms and human behavior.
Conclusions:
- Pubertal stress recalibration is vital for understanding psychopathology after early adversity.
- Further research can elucidate consequences for adaptive and maladaptive adolescent behavior.
- This knowledge can improve interventions for at-risk youth.
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