Reduced frontal white matter volume in children with early onset of adrenarche. (February 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Klauser, Paul; Whittle, Sarah; Simmons, Julian G.; Byrne, Michelle L.; Mundy, Lisa K.; Patton, George C.; Fornito, Alex; Allen, Nicholas B.
• Is Part Of: Psychoneuroendocrinology. Volume 52(2015:Feb.)
• Page Start: 111
• Page End: 118
• Publication Date: 2015-02
• Subjects: Puberty -- Adrenarche -- Dehydroepiandrosterone -- Childhood -- Adolescence -- Brain -- White matter -- Gray matter -- Magnetic resonance imaging -- Voxel-based morphometry; Psychoneuroendocrinology -- Periodicals; Endocrinology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Neuropsychoendocrinologie -- Périodiques; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.10.020
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4530

Abstract

Highlights: We compared cerebral volumes between children experiencing early vs. late adrenarche. Frontal white matter volume was reduced in children experiencing earlier adrenarche. Frontal white matter volume was negatively correlated with dehydroepiandrosterone. Early onset adrenarche may be associated with differences in frontal white matter. Summary: While there is growing evidence that puberty affects brain development, very little is known about the structural brain changes associated with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), an adrenal hormone that exhibits dramatic increases during adrenarche, the earliest phase of puberty. Moreover, no research has investigated whether relatively early exposure to DHEA (i.e., early adrenarche) during this period is associated with differences in brain structure. We ran a whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analysis on T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging brain scans to compare gray (GMV) and white matter volumes (WMV) between children experiencing relatively early ( n = 41) vs. relatively late ( n = 44) adrenarche. We also investigated the correlations between GMV or WMV and DHEA levels, and finally, tested for sex differences in group and correlation analyses. We observed reduced frontal WMV in a cluster located on the left corona radiata in children experiencing earlier adrenarche. In addition, WMV in this area was negatively correlated with DHEA levels. We did not observe any effect of gender in both the group and the correlation analyses. Early onset of adrenarche (as defined by relatively early exposure to DHEA) may be associated with differences in the development of frontal white matter tracts.