Anterior pituitary gland volume mediates associations between adrenarche and changes in transdiagnostic symptoms in youth

The pituitary gland (PG) plays a central role in the production and secretion of pubertal hormones, with documented links to the increase in mental health symptoms during adolescence. Although literature has largely focused on examining whole PG volume, recent findings have demonstrated associations...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Giorgia Picci, Nathan M. Petro, Chloe C. Casagrande, Lauren R. Ott, Hannah J. Okelberry, Danielle L. Rice, Anna T. Coutant, Grace C. Ende, Erica L. Steiner, Yu-Ping Wang, Julia M. Stephen, Vince D. Calhoun, Tony W. Wilson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-01-01
Series:Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929325000027
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832591821937573888
author Giorgia Picci
Nathan M. Petro
Chloe C. Casagrande
Lauren R. Ott
Hannah J. Okelberry
Danielle L. Rice
Anna T. Coutant
Grace C. Ende
Erica L. Steiner
Yu-Ping Wang
Julia M. Stephen
Vince D. Calhoun
Tony W. Wilson
author_facet Giorgia Picci
Nathan M. Petro
Chloe C. Casagrande
Lauren R. Ott
Hannah J. Okelberry
Danielle L. Rice
Anna T. Coutant
Grace C. Ende
Erica L. Steiner
Yu-Ping Wang
Julia M. Stephen
Vince D. Calhoun
Tony W. Wilson
author_sort Giorgia Picci
collection DOAJ
description The pituitary gland (PG) plays a central role in the production and secretion of pubertal hormones, with documented links to the increase in mental health symptoms during adolescence. Although literature has largely focused on examining whole PG volume, recent findings have demonstrated associations among pubertal hormone levels, including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), PG subregions, and mental health symptoms during adolescence. Despite the anterior PG’s role in DHEA production, studies have not yet examined potential links with transdiagnostic symptomology (i.e., dysregulation) pertinent to long-term functioning. Therefore, the current study sought examine whether anterior PG volume mediates associations between DHEA levels and changes in dysregulation symptoms in an adolescent sample (N = 114, 9 –17 years, Mage = 12.87, SD = 1.88). Following manual tracing, structural equation modeling revealed that greater anterior, not posterior, PG volume mediated the association between greater DHEA levels and increasing dysregulation symptoms across time, controlling for baseline dysregulation symptom levels. Results also showed that greater DHEA levels related to decreasing symptoms across time, suggesting potential attenuation effects. Altogether, these results provide support for separating the anterior and posterior PG by demonstrating specificity in the role of the anterior PG in adrenarcheal processes that may confer risk for adolescent psychopathology.
format Article
id doaj-art-1cbbfa60a53a40f0b213270b8ed35f4d
institution Kabale University
issn 1878-9293
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
spelling doaj-art-1cbbfa60a53a40f0b213270b8ed35f4d2025-01-22T05:41:21ZengElsevierDevelopmental Cognitive Neuroscience1878-92932025-01-0171101507Anterior pituitary gland volume mediates associations between adrenarche and changes in transdiagnostic symptoms in youthGiorgia Picci0Nathan M. Petro1Chloe C. Casagrande2Lauren R. Ott3Hannah J. Okelberry4Danielle L. Rice5Anna T. Coutant6Grace C. Ende7Erica L. Steiner8Yu-Ping Wang9Julia M. Stephen10Vince D. Calhoun11Tony W. Wilson12Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA; Correspondence to: Research Scientist, Laboratory Director, Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14090 Mother Teresa Lane, Boys Town, NE, USA.Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USAInstitute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USAInstitute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USAInstitute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USAInstitute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USAInstitute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USAInstitute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USAInstitute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USADepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USAMind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USATri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, GA, USAInstitute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USAThe pituitary gland (PG) plays a central role in the production and secretion of pubertal hormones, with documented links to the increase in mental health symptoms during adolescence. Although literature has largely focused on examining whole PG volume, recent findings have demonstrated associations among pubertal hormone levels, including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), PG subregions, and mental health symptoms during adolescence. Despite the anterior PG’s role in DHEA production, studies have not yet examined potential links with transdiagnostic symptomology (i.e., dysregulation) pertinent to long-term functioning. Therefore, the current study sought examine whether anterior PG volume mediates associations between DHEA levels and changes in dysregulation symptoms in an adolescent sample (N = 114, 9 –17 years, Mage = 12.87, SD = 1.88). Following manual tracing, structural equation modeling revealed that greater anterior, not posterior, PG volume mediated the association between greater DHEA levels and increasing dysregulation symptoms across time, controlling for baseline dysregulation symptom levels. Results also showed that greater DHEA levels related to decreasing symptoms across time, suggesting potential attenuation effects. Altogether, these results provide support for separating the anterior and posterior PG by demonstrating specificity in the role of the anterior PG in adrenarcheal processes that may confer risk for adolescent psychopathology.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929325000027PubertyPituitaryAdrenarcheBrain structureTransdiagnosticDHEA
spellingShingle Giorgia Picci
Nathan M. Petro
Chloe C. Casagrande
Lauren R. Ott
Hannah J. Okelberry
Danielle L. Rice
Anna T. Coutant
Grace C. Ende
Erica L. Steiner
Yu-Ping Wang
Julia M. Stephen
Vince D. Calhoun
Tony W. Wilson
Anterior pituitary gland volume mediates associations between adrenarche and changes in transdiagnostic symptoms in youth
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Puberty
Pituitary
Adrenarche
Brain structure
Transdiagnostic
DHEA
title Anterior pituitary gland volume mediates associations between adrenarche and changes in transdiagnostic symptoms in youth
title_full Anterior pituitary gland volume mediates associations between adrenarche and changes in transdiagnostic symptoms in youth
title_fullStr Anterior pituitary gland volume mediates associations between adrenarche and changes in transdiagnostic symptoms in youth
title_full_unstemmed Anterior pituitary gland volume mediates associations between adrenarche and changes in transdiagnostic symptoms in youth
title_short Anterior pituitary gland volume mediates associations between adrenarche and changes in transdiagnostic symptoms in youth
title_sort anterior pituitary gland volume mediates associations between adrenarche and changes in transdiagnostic symptoms in youth
topic Puberty
Pituitary
Adrenarche
Brain structure
Transdiagnostic
DHEA
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929325000027
work_keys_str_mv AT giorgiapicci anteriorpituitaryglandvolumemediatesassociationsbetweenadrenarcheandchangesintransdiagnosticsymptomsinyouth
AT nathanmpetro anteriorpituitaryglandvolumemediatesassociationsbetweenadrenarcheandchangesintransdiagnosticsymptomsinyouth
AT chloeccasagrande anteriorpituitaryglandvolumemediatesassociationsbetweenadrenarcheandchangesintransdiagnosticsymptomsinyouth
AT laurenrott anteriorpituitaryglandvolumemediatesassociationsbetweenadrenarcheandchangesintransdiagnosticsymptomsinyouth
AT hannahjokelberry anteriorpituitaryglandvolumemediatesassociationsbetweenadrenarcheandchangesintransdiagnosticsymptomsinyouth
AT daniellelrice anteriorpituitaryglandvolumemediatesassociationsbetweenadrenarcheandchangesintransdiagnosticsymptomsinyouth
AT annatcoutant anteriorpituitaryglandvolumemediatesassociationsbetweenadrenarcheandchangesintransdiagnosticsymptomsinyouth
AT gracecende anteriorpituitaryglandvolumemediatesassociationsbetweenadrenarcheandchangesintransdiagnosticsymptomsinyouth
AT ericalsteiner anteriorpituitaryglandvolumemediatesassociationsbetweenadrenarcheandchangesintransdiagnosticsymptomsinyouth
AT yupingwang anteriorpituitaryglandvolumemediatesassociationsbetweenadrenarcheandchangesintransdiagnosticsymptomsinyouth
AT juliamstephen anteriorpituitaryglandvolumemediatesassociationsbetweenadrenarcheandchangesintransdiagnosticsymptomsinyouth
AT vincedcalhoun anteriorpituitaryglandvolumemediatesassociationsbetweenadrenarcheandchangesintransdiagnosticsymptomsinyouth
AT tonywwilson anteriorpituitaryglandvolumemediatesassociationsbetweenadrenarcheandchangesintransdiagnosticsymptomsinyouth