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Earlier pubertal timing has been associated with risk for depression in girls (e.g., Keenan et al., 2014). Evidence suggests pubertal timing also relates to alterations in white matter microstructure in late adolescence (Chahal et al., 2018) though differences in pubertal development have not been examined in the context of brain structural connectivity. Individual differences in the course of puberty may have enduring effects on neuroanatomical pathways that may contribute to depressive psychopathology. To address this question, we first determined whether depressive trajectory groups differed on pubertal timing. Then, we explored the relationship between girls’ pubertal timing and their brain structural connectivity.
In a subsample of 107 girls from the Pittsburgh Girls Study, pubertal timing was assessed using growth curve modeling of the Petersen Physical Development Scale (PDS; Petersen, 1988) collected from ages 9-15. Latent growth mixture modeling was used to classify girls’ depression trajectories across ages 10-19. Whole brain networks were reconstructed using a diffusion imaging scan of white matter (WM) at age 19. Atlas-based brain regions (AAL atlas; Tzourio-Mazoyer et al., 2002) were used as network nodes (n= 94) and tractography streamline counts as edge weights, resulting in ROI x ROI structural connectivity matrices for each subject. We examined interregional connectivity in relation to pubertal timing, controlling for IQ, race, and age at scan.
Girls exhibiting escalating depressive symptoms in adolescence had later pubertal timing than those with stable-low or stable-high symptoms (ps < .05). Based on this finding, pubertal timing groups were examined separately (early, average, late). Interregional connectivity analyses revealed girls with early (M – 1 SD) and late (M + 1 SD) pubertal timing both had subnetworks of higher connectivity strength compared to girls with average timing (ps < .001). Compared with average timing, girls with early maturation had four subnetworks of higher connectivity (comprising cingulo-frontal and fronto-thalamic pathways), while late maturing girls had one subnetwork of higher connections (spanning lateral occipital, temporal, and frontal regions). Additionally, girls with early, compared to late timing, exhibited higher subnetwork connectivity between fronto-occipital and cingulo-frontal-amygdala regions. One subnetwork of increased connectivity was found (between the insula and inferior parietal gyrus) in girls with late versus early pubertal timing.
These findings demonstrate individual differences in the timing of pubertal maturation are associated with depression trajectories and differences in brain structural connectivity in early adulthood. Both early and late pubertal timing conferred subnetworks with higher WM connection strength, though in region-specific ways. These neurobiological mechanisms may underlie the link between off-time pubertal development and risk for depression in girls.
Rajpreet Chahal, University of California Davis
Presenting Author
Veronika Vilgis, University of California Davis
Non-Presenting Author
Kate Keenan, University of Chicago
Non-Presenting Author
Erika Forbes, University of Pittsburgh
Non-Presenting Author
Alison Hipwell, University of Pittsburgh
Non-Presenting Author
Amanda Guyer, University of California, Davis
Non-Presenting Author