Long-Term Study of Hormonal and Brain Changes During Puberty and Early Adulthood Examining Brain Structure, Behavior, and Stress Response from Childhood to Age 35

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying how the hormonal and metabolic changes during puberty affect brain development and function. This study focuses on boys and girls from pre-puberty through post-puberty, examining how puberty influences brain structure, behavior, stress response, and the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia, which show differences between sexes emerging during adolescence. The study aims to fill gaps in understanding the relationship between pubertal events and brain changes across adolescence. Healthy boys and girls aged 8 to 17 years will be assessed at intervals of eight to ten months over several years. Their pubertal status will be determined using reproductive, endocrine, metabolic, and physical measures. Brain imaging techniques, cognitive and behavioral evaluations, metabolic tests, and stress hormone measurements will be conducted. Adults aged 25 to 35 years will also be studied to compare adult brain data with that from adolescence. Participants who were children in earlier parts of the study may return as adults for further evaluation. Participants will undergo regular brain imaging, cognitive testing, metabolic assessments, and evaluations of stress hormone responses. The study will track changes in brain function using fMRI and other imaging methods, as well as behavioral and hormonal assessments. Genetic factors influencing puberty and brain development will also be analyzed. The study is naturalistic and longitudinal, with assessments continuing from childhood through adolescence and into adulthood for some participants, providing a comprehensive view of pubertal impact on the brain and behavior.

A Longitudinal Investigation of the Endocrine and Neurobiologic Events Accompanying Puberty