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To deepen the development of positive affect during early adolescence and shed new light on its predictors, this study adopts an exploratory network approach to first identify the main domains that describe the variability of children's psychological, environmental, and behavioral characteristics, and then use these domains to longitudinally predict positive affect and its development within a latent growth framework. To this aim, we considered 10,904 US participants (9 years old at baseline; 13 years old 42 months later), six measurement occasions of positive affect, and 46 baseline indicators from the ABCD study. Our results not only confirm that positive affect declines between 9 and 13 years old, but also show that among the five domains identified (behavioral dysregulation, cognitive functioning, psychological problems, supportive social environment, and extracurricular activities), only a supportive social environment consistently predicts positive affect. This is crucial for practitioners and policymakers, as it can help them focus on the elements within our complex network of psychological, social, and environmental variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the development of modern medicine, the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) combined with western medicine began to be produced and applied. Scalp acupuncture (SA) as a Chinese medicine based on neurological theory, has a great advantage compared with TCM in the treatment of nervous system diseases. Method: In this paper, we analyze the physiological and pathological manifestations of sexual dimorphism (SD) to illustrate the necessity of SD treatment. In addition, we review the factors that can affect SD and analyze in physiological structure, function, and pathological neurons. Diseases (pathological basis, pathological manifestations, and incidence) and factors leading to gender differences, which to analyze the possibility of gender differences in SA. Result: Furthermore, we creatively a new insight of SD‐SA and provide the complete SD treatment cases on the basis of the existing SA in different kinds of diseases including stroke, migraine, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression. Conclusion: In summary, we believe that it is feasible to improve the clinical effectiveness of SA, which is able to promote the development of SA, and then provides an actionable evidence for the promotion of precision medicine in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Comprehensive treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) requires not only pharmacologic treatment but also management of existing medical conditions and lifestyle modifications including diet, cognitive training, and exercise. Personalized, multimodal therapies are needed to best prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). Objective: The Coaching for Cognition in Alzheimer's (COCOA) trial was a prospective randomized controlled trial to test the hypothesis that a remotely coached multimodal lifestyle intervention would improve early-stage AD. Methods: Participants with early-stage AD were randomized into two arms. Arm 1 (N = 24) received standard of care. Arm 2 (N = 31) additionally received telephonic personalized coaching for multiple lifestyle interventions. The primary outcome was a test of the hypothesis that the Memory Performance Index (MPI) change over time would be better in the intervention arm than in the control arm. The Functional Assessment Staging Test was assessed for a secondary outcome. COCOA collected psychometric, clinical, lifestyle, genomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and microbiome data at multiple timepoints (dynamic dense data) across two years for each participant. Results: The intervention arm ameliorated 2.1 [1.0] MPI points (mean [SD], p = 0.016) compared to the control over the two-year intervention. No important adverse events or side effects were observed. Conclusion: Multimodal lifestyle interventions are effective for ameliorating cognitive decline and have a larger effect size than pharmacological interventions. Dietary changes and exercise are likely to be beneficial components of multimodal interventions in many individuals. Remote coaching is an effective intervention for early stage ADRD. Remote interventions were effective during the COVID pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulsatile secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is essential for activating and maintaining the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, which controls the onset of puberty and fertility. Two recent studies suggest that, in addition to controlling reproduction, the neurons in the brain that produce GnRH are also involved in the control of postnatal brain maturation, odor discrimination, and adult cognition. This review will summarize the development and establishment of the GnRH system, with particular attention to the importance of its first postnatal activation, a phenomenon known as minipuberty, for later reproductive and nonreproductive functions. In addition, we will discuss the beneficial effects of restoring physiological (ie, pulsatile) GnRH levels on olfactory and cognitive alterations in preclinical Down syndrome and Alzheimer disease models, as well as the potential risks associated with long-term continuous (ie, nonphysiological) GnRH administration in certain disorders. Finally, this review addresses the intriguing possibility that pulsatile GnRH therapy may hold therapeutic potential for the management of some neurodevelopmental cognitive disorders and pathological aging in elderly people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotion dysregulation is an associated feature of compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD), now recognized by the World Health Organization. Previous studies have identified associations between trait emotion dysregulation and CSBD. Given that difficulties with emotion regulation (DERS) is comprised of several facets (e.g., difficulty with impulse control and lacking awareness of one's feelings when upset), and that these facets differentially relate to other mental health concerns, the present study aimed to examine how DERS facets relate to compulsive sexual behavior (CSB). The present study also considered interpersonal emotion regulation via attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety. Hierarchical regression was conducted, first accounting for demographic covariates, then adding attachment styles, and finally all DERS subscales. Results indicated that, among a large, diverse, online U.S. sample (N = 915; Mage = 39.21, SD = 0.81; 54.3% men), difficulty controlling impulses when upset, difficulty with clarity of emotions, and non-acceptance of emotions were significantly positively associated with CSB (small to moderate effects). Attachment anxiety and avoidance were also significantly positively associated with CSB, although their effects were minimal when adding DERS facets. Overall, this study supports the theorized impact of emotion dysregulation on CSB. Assessment of individual differences in DERS and intervening on these concerns are important for treating CSB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to World Health Organization estimates, 5% of the adult population worldwide suffers from depression. In addition to the affective, psychomotor and cognitive symptoms which characterize this mood disorder, sexual dysfunction has been frequently reported among men suffering from depression. The most common sexual manifestations are decreased libido, erectile dysfunction and orgasmic disorder. In addition, epidemiological studies have documented a reduction of testosterone concentrations in men with depression and, for these reasons, depressive disorders appear as one possible cause of male functional hypogonadism. Moreover, some largely used antidepressant medications can cause or worsen sexual complaints, thus depression and its treatments rise several andrological-relevant issues. The other way round, men with hypogonadism can manifest depressed mood, anxiety, insomnia, memory impairment which, if mild, may respond to testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). However, the prevalence of functional hypogonadism in depression, and of depressive symptoms in hypogonadal men, is not known. Severe depressive symptoms do not respond to TRT, while the effect of treating major depression on functional hypogonadism, has not been investigated. Overall, the clinical relevance of each condition to the other, as well as the physiopathological underpinnings of their relationship, are still to be clarified. The present review summarizes current evidence on the influence of testosterone on mood and of depression on the hypothalamic-pituitary-testis axis; the clinical association between male hypogonadism and depression; and the reciprocal effects of respective treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children receive sentences underpinned by deterrence theory in many jurisdictions, as demonstrated by recent cases in Australia and England and Wales. This article explores whether deterrent sentencing is justified from a legal, criminological and neuroscientific perspective. Analysis of international instruments suggests that deterrent sentencing conflicts with children's rights, particularly the obligation to factor in the child's age and best interests. There is scant criminological evidence that deterrent sentencing works for children. The principles that underpin deterrent sentencing are at odds with the way children make decisions according to recent neuroscientific evidence. Principles of deterrence should not apply when sentencing children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Impulsivity is one factor that is associated with increased risk for suicide ideation and suicidal risk. However, limited studies have examined the association between impulsivity and suicidal risk, or clinically relevant protective factors, for Black Americans. While mindfulness is a robust coping mechanism and facilitator of psychological well-being, few studies have examined its role in the context of impulsivity and suicidal risk for Black Americans. The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating role of mindfulness on the association between impulsivity and suicidal risk within a university sample of Black emerging adults. Method: Data from 332 Black emerging adults (79.2% female; mean age = 22.4, SD = 5.6) were used to examine the indirect effect of impulsivity on suicide ideation and elevated suicide risk through mindfulness. Participants completed an online questionnaire battery that included measures of impulsivity, mindfulness, suicide ideation, and elevated suicide risk. Results: After controlling for age and gender, mediation analyses revealed that impulsivity was directly and indirectly associated with suicide ideation and elevated suicide risk via lower levels of mindfulness. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary insight into novel risk and protective factors that influence suicide ideation and elevated suicide risk among Black emerging adults. Further, these findings support the clinical utility of mindfulness as a potential buffer to the negative consequences of impulsivity for Black Americans. Preregistration: This study is not preregistered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Since the first description of sex addiction (SA) by Carnes, research on this problematic behaviour has continued to grow, and the association with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) appears to be frequent. This study aimed to estimate the frequency of a history of probable ADHD in a population of patients with SA and to explore the factors associated with it. Methods: One hundred 85 patients referred to the Nantes University Hospital for SA between 2011 and 2020 were included. Patients completed the Sexual Addiction Screening Test (SAST) or its revised version (SAST-R) to establish the presence of SA. As the SAST-R was not validated in French, we conducted a validation study for the French version. ADHD was screened using the Wender-Utah Rating Scale in childhood and the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale in adulthood. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with the presence of a history of probable ADHD. Results: Childhood ADHD was identified in 36% of patients with SA. Factors associated with the presence of a history of probable ADHD were a low education level, an earlier age of onset of problematic sexual behaviour, another addictive disorder, an anxiety disorder, impulsivity (high negative urgency score), and high scores on harm avoidance and novelty-seeking temperament scales. Furthermore, the French version of the SAST-R displayed good psychometric properties, especially excellent sensitivity. Conclusion: The frequency of a history of probable ADHD among patients with SA is consistent with the literature and close to the highest range. Specific personality traits in patients with both SA and a history of probable ADHD could induce lasting problems of adaptation, which may precipitate the development of SA or maintain it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Assess the prevalence of headache in transgender and gender‐diverse adolescents, comparing prevalence with and without exposure to gender‐affirming hormone therapy. Background: Transgender and gender‐diverse youth are an understudied group in whom we can study the effects of sex steroids on adolescents' development of headache. We hypothesized that transfeminine adolescents treated with estrogen would have higher odds of headache than those not treated, and that transmasculine adolescents treated with testosterone would have lower odds of headache than those not treated. Methods: This retrospective case–control study analyzed all patients seen at the Boston Children's Hospital Gender Multispecialty Service clinic from 2007 to 2017. Cases were defined as patients with headache, controls as those without headache, and exposure as treatment with gender‐affirming hormone therapy (i.e., estrogen or testosterone). A computerized search identified cases that were then validated by chart review. Results: Fifty‐two of the 763 transgender and gender‐diverse patients seen were confirmed to have headache. Of 273 transfeminine patients 45% (123/273) received estrogen treatment. Transfeminine patients receiving estrogen were more likely to have headache than those not receiving estrogen (7% [9/123] vs. 1% [2/150]; odd ratio [OR] 5.84 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24–27.6), p = 0.026). Of 490 transmasculine patients, 46% (227/490) received testosterone. Transmasculine patients receiving testosterone were more likely to have headache than those not receiving testosterone (12% [28/227] vs. 5% (13/263); OR 2.71 (95% CI 1.37–5.4), p = 0.005). Conclusion: Among transfeminine and transmasculine youth, those who received gender‐affirming hormone therapy had higher odds of headache compared to those not taking gender‐affirming hormone therapy. Further prospective studies to guide headache care of transgender and gender‐diverse youth and adults are needed. Our results could be generalizable to other pediatric gender management clinics and may be worth discussing with patients considering treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To ensure readers are informed consumers of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research in headache, to outline ongoing challenges in this area of research, and to describe potential considerations when asked to collaborate on fMRI research in headache, as well as to suggest future directions for improvement in the field. Background: Functional MRI has played a key role in understanding headache pathophysiology, and mapping networks involved with headache‐related brain activity have the potential to identify intervention targets. Some investigators have also begun to explore its use for diagnosis. Methods/Results: The manuscript is a narrative review of the current best practices in fMRI in headache research, including guidelines on transparency and reproducibility. It also contains an outline of the fundamentals of MRI theory, task‐related study design, resting‐state functional connectivity, relevant statistics and power analysis, image preprocessing, and other considerations essential to the field. Conclusion: Best practices to increase reproducibility include methods transparency, eliminating error, using a priori hypotheses and power calculations, using standardized instruments and diagnostic criteria, and developing large‐scale, publicly available datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The objective of this systematic review is to describe polysubstance studies and their prevalence estimates among pregnant people in the US. Methods: This review was not subject to protocol preparation or registration with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) because outcome data were not reported. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Checklist was followed. Four scientific literature databases were used to identify articles published from January 1, 2009 to June 3, 2020 reporting prenatal exposure to two or more substances in the US. A standardized process of title and abstract screening followed by a two-phase full-text review was used to assess study eligibility. Results: A total of 119 studies were included: 7 case–control studies, 7 clinical trials, 76 cohort studies, and 29 cross-sectional studies. Studies varied with respect to study design, time period, region, sampling and participant selection, substances assessed, and method of exposure ascertainment. Commonly reported polysubstance prevalence estimates among studies of pregnant people included combinations with alcohol, marijuana, and/or tobacco/nicotine. The range of prevalence estimates was wide (alcohol 1–99%; marijuana 3–95%; tobacco/nicotine 2–95%). Discussion: Polysubstance use during pregnancy is common, especially with alcohol, marijuana, and/or tobacco/nicotine. Future research to assess polysubstance use during pregnancy could help better describe patterns and ultimately help mitigate its effects on maternal and infant health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Time Perspective (TP) theory (i.e., the psychological experience regarding time) was often examined in association with different addictive behaviors, and the different TPs (i.e., Past Positive, Past Negative, Present Hedonistic, Present Fatalistic, and Future TPs) demonstrated different relationship patterns with them. However, most studies were conducted in relation to substance use-related disorders, leaving crucial knowledge gaps concerning the associations between TPs and potential behavioral addictions. The aim of the present study was to examine the associations between the five TP dimensions, hypersexuality, and problematic pornography use (PPU), considering potential gender differences. Participants from two independent samples (N1 = 554; N2 = 453) completed a self-report survey on TPs and sexual behaviors. Structural equation modeling results indicated that the Present Hedonistic TP had a positive, moderate, and the Future TP had a negative, weak association with hypersexuality in both samples. Only the Present Hedonistic TP had a significant, positive, weak-to-moderate association with PPU across the samples. The explained variances of the models were higher in case of hypersexuality (28 and 27%, respectively), than in case of PPU (1 and 14%, respectively). No significant gender differences were observed. In line with previous findings concerning other predictors of hypersexuality and PPU, the results of the present study suggest that hypersexuality and PPU may differ from each other in terms of their TP background. Yet, present hedonism, which is related to impulsivity, may play an important role in both problematic sexual behaviors, suggesting that interventions focusing on this TP might be successful in reducing hypersexuality and PPU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to the examination of mindfulness and impulsiveness in university student-athletes in terms of sports injury development history. A total of 181 athletes, 56 female, and 125 males, were included in the study. The Sociodemographic Information Form, the short form of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, and the Mindfulness Inventory for Sport were applied to the participants. In conclusion, the athletes with a history of injuring another athlete had a higher score average in impulsiveness scale. The total scores from the overall mindfulness inventory did not differ significantly based on the status of having injured another athlete. It was observed that the athletes who experienced severe injury had a lower score average in the overall impulsiveness scale compared to the athletes who experienced a moderate injury. No significant difference was observed in the score averages from the overall mindfulness scale based on injury severity. Among the most notable results of the present study are the positive relationship between motor impulsiveness and injury frequency and the negative relationship between mindfulness and the total of the impulsivity scale and all its sub-dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The present study investigated the five facets of mindfulness and nonattachment in individuals who gamble to identify latent profiles and explore descriptive differences in those profiles relative to etiological precursors to problem gambling. Methods: An online convenience sample of 843 adults (59.91% male; Mage = 39.40 years; SD = 12.52) who gamble completed measures of mindfulness; nonattachment; gambling motivations, cognitions, frequency, and problem severity; and mental well/ill-being. Results: Findings from a series of latent profile analyses supported a four-profile model, representing High, Moderate, and Low Mindfulness as well as a unique profile, Judgmentally Unaware, characterized by low levels of non-judging and acting with awareness. Individuals with the Judgmentally Unaware profile demonstrated more frequent gambling, stronger gambling motivations and gambling-related cognitions, more severe problem gambling, and poorer mental health. Conclusions: This study extends prior findings by clarifying nuances among specific profiles of mindfulness that could bear on levels of problem gambling severity. For groups with high mindfulness and low gambling problem severity, mindfulness interventions could positively inform harm-reduction strategies. However, for a novel "Judgmentally Unaware" group, who are both self-critical and inattentive to their gambling behaviors, more research is needed to identify traits that serve as risk or protective factors in the development and maintenance of problem gambling behavior. Across groups, mindfulness is a promising framework to guide investigations into prevention and intervention with individuals who experience gambling problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide a clinical practice guideline for the use of testosterone including identification of patients, laboratory testing, dosing, post-treatment monitoring, and follow-up care in women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). The International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health appointed a multidisciplinary panel of experts who performed a literature review of original research, meta-analyses, review papers, and consensus guidelines regarding testosterone use in women. Consensus was reached using a modified Delphi method. A clinically useful guideline following a biopsychosocial assessment and treatment approach for the safe and efficacious use of testosterone in women with HSDD was developed including measurement, indications, formulations, prescribing, dosing, monitoring, and follow-up. Although the Global Position Statement endorses testosterone therapy for only postmenopausal women, limited data also support the use in late reproductive age premenopausal women, consistent with the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health Process of Care for the Management of HSDD. Systemic transdermal testosterone is recommended for women with HSDD not primarily related to modifiable factors or comorbidities such as relationship or mental health problems. Current available research supports a moderate therapeutic benefit. Safety data show no serious adverse events with physiologic testosterone use, but long-term safety has not been established. Before initiation of therapy, clinicians should provide an informed consent. Shared decision-making involves a comprehensive discussion of off-label use, as well as benefits and risks. A total testosterone level should not be used to diagnose HSDD, but as a baseline for monitoring. Government-approved transdermal male formulations can be used cautiously with dosing appropriate for women. Patients should be assessed for signs of androgen excess and total testosterone levels monitored to maintain concentrations in the physiologic premenopausal range. Compounded products cannot be recommended because of the lack of efficacy and safety data. This clinical practice guideline provides standards for safely prescribing testosterone to women with HSDD, including identification of appropriate patients, dosing, and monitoring. This evidence-based guideline builds on a recently published comprehensive meta-analysis and the Global Position Statement endorsed by numerous societies. The limitation is that testosterone therapy is not approved for women by most regulatory agencies, thereby making prescribing and proper dosing challenging. Despite substantial evidence regarding safety, efficacy, and clinical use, access to testosterone therapy for the treatment of HSDD in women remains a significant unmet need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental conditions that is four times more commonly diagnosed in males than females. While susceptibility genes located in the sex chromosomes have been identified in ASD, it is unclear whether they are sufficient to explain the male bias or whether gonadal hormones also play a key role. We evaluated the sex chromosomal and hormonal influences on the male bias in a murine model of ASD, in which mice are exposed in utero to a maternal antibody reactive to contactin-associated protein-like 2 (Caspr2), which was originally cloned from a mother of a child with ASD (termed C6 mice henceforth). In this model, only male mice are affected. We used the four-core-genotypes (FCG) model in which the Sry gene is deleted from the Y chromosome (Y−) and inserted into autosome 3 (TgSry). Thus, by combining the C6 and FCG models, we were able to differentiate the contributions of sex chromosomes and gonadal hormones to the development of fetal brain and adult behavioral phenotypes. We show that the presence of the Y chromosome, or lack of two X chromosomes, irrespective of gonadal sex, increased the susceptibility to C6-induced phenotypes including the abnormal growth of the developing fetal cerebral cortex, as well as a behavioral pattern of decreased open-field exploration in adult mice. Our results indicate that sex chromosomes are the main determinant of the male bias in the maternal C6-induced model of ASD. The less dominant hormonal effect may be due to modulation by sex chromosome genes of factors involved in gonadal hormone pathways in the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puberty is a sensitive period of brain development accompany with pubertal hormones fluctuation. However, the underlying mechanisms of the impact of hypothalamus–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis reactivation and associated elevated pubertal hormones on brain structure are still unclear. Here, we investigated the brain structure differences between girls with and without HPG axis reactivation and the influence of pubertal hormones on these brain regions. 126 girls aged 8–9.5 years underwent a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test to identify the HPG axis status and categorized into HPG+ group (n = 80) and HPG- group (n = 46). T1-weighted gradient echo three dimensional MRI was performed using a 3.0-Tesla scanner to assess the difference in GMV between the two groups. Correlation analyses were conducted to explore the relations between the brain regions showing significant GMV differences and serum hormone concentrations. The HPG+ group showed significantly higher GMV in the bilateral lingual gyrus and lower GMV within the right orbital inferior frontal gyrus compare to the HPG − group. Furthermore, GMV in the right orbital inferior frontal gyrus was positively associated with plasma concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in HPG+ group. The present study suggests that the reactivated HPG axis could affects regional structural brain changes in early pubertal girls. FSH production play an important role in bilateral lingual gyrus, which are involved in vision processing, semantic processing and emotional expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical exercise during adolescence, a critical developmental window, can facilitate neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus and astrogliogenesis in Cornu Ammonis (CA) hippocampal subfields of rats, and which have been associated with improved hippocampal dependent memory performance. Recent translational studies in humans also suggest that aerobic fitness is associated with hippocampal volume and better spatial memory during adolescence. However, associations between fitness, hippocampal subfield morphology, and learning capabilities in human adolescents remain largely unknown. Employing a translational study design in 34 adolescent males, we explored the relationship between aerobic fitness, hippocampal subfield volumes, and both spatial and verbal memory. Aerobic fitness, assessed by peak oxygen utilization on a high-intensity exercise test (VO2 peak), was positively associated with the volumetric enlargement of the hippocampal head, and the CA1 head region specifically. Larger CA1 volumes were also associated with spatial learning on a Virtual Morris Water Maze task and verbal learning on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, but not recall memory. In line with previous animal work, the current findings lend support for the long-axis specialization of the hippocampus in the areas of exercise and learning during adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescence is a critical time for brain development. Findings from previous studies have been inconsistent, failing to distinguish the influence of pubertal status and aging on brain maturation. The current study sought to address these inconsistencies, addressing the trajectories of pubertal development and aging by longitudinally tracking structural brain development during adolescence. Methods: Two cohorts of healthy children were recruited (cohort 1: 9–10 years old; cohort 2: 12–13 years old at baseline). MRI data were acquired for gray matter volume and white matter tract measures. To determine whether age, pubertal status, both or their interaction best modelled longitudinal data, we compared four multi-level linear regression models to the null model (general brain growth indexed by total segmented volume) using Bayesian model selection. Results: Data were collected at baseline (n = 116), 12 months (n = 97) and 24 months (n = 84) after baseline. Findings demonstrated that the development of most regional gray matter volume, and white matter tract measures, were best modelled by age. Interestingly, precentral and paracentral regions of the cortex, as well as the accumbens demonstrated significant preference for the pubertal status model. None of the white matter tract measures were better modelled by pubertal status. Limitations: The major limitation of this study is the two-cohort recruitment. Although this allowed a faster coverage of the age span, a complete per person trajectory over 6 years of development (9–15 years) could not be investigated. Conclusions: Comparing the impact of age and pubertal status on regional gray matter volume and white matter tract measures, we found age to best predict longitudinal changes. Further longitudinal studies investigating the differential influence of puberty status and age on brain development in more diverse samples are needed to replicate the present results and address mechanisms underlying norm-variants in brain development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally sex hormones have been associated with reproductive and developmental processes only. Since the 1950s we know that hormones can have organizational effects on the developing brain and initiate hormonal transition periods such as puberty. However, recent evidence shows that sex hormones additionally structure the brain during important hormonal transition periods across a woman's life including short-term fluctuations during the menstrual cycle. However, a comprehensive review focusing on structural changes during all hormonal transition phases of women is still missing. Therefore, in this review structural changes across hormonal transition periods (i.e., puberty, menstrual cycle, oral contraceptive intake, pregnancy and menopause) were investigated in a structured way and correlations with sex hormones evaluated. Results show an overall reduction in grey matter and region-specific decreases in prefrontal, parietal and middle temporal areas during puberty. Across the menstrual cycle grey matter plasticity in the hippocampus, the amygdala as well as temporal and parietal regions were most consistently reported. Studies reporting on pre- and post-pregnancy measurements revealed volume reductions in midline structures as well as prefrontal and temporal cortices. During perimenopause, the decline in sex hormones was paralleled with a reduction in hippocampal and parietal cortex volume. Brain volume changes were significantly correlated with estradiol, testosterone and progesterone levels in some studies, but directionality remains inconclusive between studies. These results indicate that sex hormones play an important role in shaping women's brain structure during different transition periods and are not restricted to specific developmental periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Referrals for gender dysphoria (GD), characterized by a distressful incongruence between gender identity and at-birth assigned sex, are steadily increasing. The underlying neurobiology, and the mechanisms of the often-beneficial cross-sex hormone treatment are unknown. Here, we test hypothesis that own body perception networks (incorporated in the default mode network—DMN, and partly in the salience network—SN), are different in trans-compared with cis-gender persons. We also investigate whether these networks change with cross-sex hormone treatment. Forty transmen (TrM) and 25 transwomen (TrW) were scanned before and after cross-sex hormone institution. We used our own developed Body Morph test (BM), to assess the perception of own body as self. Fifteen cisgender persons were controls. Within and between-group differences in functional connectivity were calculated using independent components analysis within the DMN, SN, and motor network (a control network). Pretreatment, TrM and TrW scored lower "self" on the BM test than controls. Their functional connections were weaker in the anterior cingulate-, mesial prefrontal-cortex (mPFC), precuneus, the left angular gyrus, and superior parietal cortex of the DMN, and ACC in the SN "Self" identification and connectivity in the mPFC in both TrM and TrW increased from scan 1 to 2, and at scan 2 no group differences remained. The neurobiological underpinnings of GD seem subserved by cerebral structures composing major parts of the DMN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puberty is a developmental period characterized by a broad range of physiologic changes necessary for the acquisition of adult sexual and reproductive maturity. These changes mirror complex modifications within the central nervous system, including within the hypothalamus. These modifications result in the maturation of a fully active hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis, the neuroendocrine cascade ensuring gonadal activation, sex steroid secretion, and gametogenesis. A complex and finely regulated neural network overseeing the HPG axis, particularly the pubertal reactivation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion, has been progressively unveiled in the last 3 decades. This network includes kisspeptin, neurokinin B, GABAergic, and glutamatergic neurons as well as glial cells. In addition to substantial modifications in the expression of key targets, several changes in neuronal morphology, neural connections, and synapse organization occur to establish mature and coordinated neurohormonal secretion, leading to puberty initiation. The aim of this review is to outline the current knowledge of the major changes that neurons secreting GnRH and their neuronal and glial partners undergo before and after puberty. Emerging mediators upstream of GnRH, uncovered in recent years, are also addressed herein. In addition, the effects of sex steroids, particularly estradiol, on changes in hypothalamic neurodevelopment and plasticity are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale longitudinal neuroimaging studies of the infant brain allow us to map the spatiotemporal development of the brain in its early phase. While the postmenstrual age (PMA) is commonly used as a time index to analyze longitudinal MRI data, the nonlinear relationship between PMA and MRI data imposes challenges for downstream analyses. We propose a mathematical model that provides a Developmental Score (DevS) as a data-driven time index to characterize the brain development based on MRI features. 319 diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) datasets were collected from 87 term-born and 66 preterm-born infants at multiple visits, which were automatically segmented based on the JHU neonatal atlas. The mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) in 126 brain parcels were used in the model to derive DevS. We demonstrate that transforming the time index from PMA to DevS improves the linearity of the longitudinal changes in MD and FA in both gray and white matter structures. More importantly, regional developmental differences in DTI metrics between preterm- and term-born infants were identified more clearly using DevS, e.g. 79 structures showed significantly different regression patterns in MD between preterm- and term-born infants, compared to only 27 structures that showed group differences using PMA as the index. Therefore, the DevS model facilitates linear analyses of DTI metrics in the infant brain, and provides a useful tool to characterize altered brain development due to preterm-birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initiating and maintaining behavior change is key to the prevention and treatment of most preventable chronic medical and psychiatric illnesses. The cultivation of mindfulness, involving acceptance and nonjudgment of present-moment experience, often results in transformative health behavior change. Neural systems involved in motivation and learning have an important role to play. A theoretical model of mindfulness that integrates these mechanisms with the cognitive, emotional, and self-related processes commonly described, while applying an integrated model to health behavior change, is needed. This integrative review (1) defines mindfulness and describes the mindfulness-based intervention movement, (2) synthesizes the neuroscience of mindfulness and integrates motivation and learning mechanisms within a mindful self-regulation model for understanding the complex effects of mindfulness on behavior change, and (3) synthesizes current clinical research evaluating the effects of mindfulness-based interventions targeting health behaviors relevant to psychiatric care. The review provides insight into the limitations of current research and proposes potential mechanisms to be tested in future research and targeted in clinical practice to enhance the impact of mindfulness on behavior change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meditation practice may be a useful intervention to reduce cravings and impulsivity among gamblers. Fifty-nine participants (90% female, mean age = 21.6 years) completed pre-intervention questionnaires including the Gambling Craving Scale (GACS) and a delay discounting task. Next, they were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (1) audio-guided mindfulness-based meditation exercises or (2) audiobook recordings (control condition). After listening to 10-min daily audio recordings for a week, participants completed post-intervention measures. Contrary to hypothesis, gambling measures were not correlated with delay discounting. However, dispositional mindfulness was inversely related to a self-report measure of impulsivity and problem gambling severity. The hypothesized interaction between time (pre- vs. post-intervention) and condition (meditation exercises vs. audiobook recordings) was significant for gambling cravings among gamblers (n = 39), with those in the meditation condition showing a significant reduction in gambling cravings which highlights the potential benefits of meditation practice to reduce gambling cravings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The onset of puberty and related hormones exerts significant effects on brain morphometric and psychosocial development. The biological mechanisms underlying how the reactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and puberty-related hormonal maturation sculpts human brain architecture remain elusive. To address this question, 105 premature pubertal girls (age 8–11 years) without menstruation underwent brain structural scanning on a 3T MR system, and the luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) stimulation test was used to identify the reactivation of the HPG axis. Among the 105 girls, 63 were positive for HPG axis reactivation (HPG+), while the others showed negative (HPG-). Cortical thickness was calculated and compared between the two groups after adjusting for age. The brain regions showing inter-group differences were then extracted and correlated with the peak value of serum hormone after the LHRH stimulation test in entire sample. Compared to HPG- girls, HPG+ girls showed reduced cortical thickness mainly in the the right precuneus, right inferior temporal gyrus, and right superior frontal gyrus, while increased cortical thickness primarily in the left superior parietal lobe and right inferior parietal lobe. Linear-regression analysis revealed negative correlations between the cortical thickness of the right inferior parietal lobe with the peak value of FSH and the right precuneus with LH and E. These findings provide evidence to support the notion that the reactivation of HPG axis and changes of hormones during the early phase of hormonal maturation exert influences on the development of gray matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender identity development is complex and involves several key processes. Transgender people experience incongruence between their biological and identified gender. This incongruence can cause significant impairment in overall functioning and lead to gender dysphoria (GD). The pathophysiology of GD is complex and is poorly understood. A PubMed search based on predetermined eligibility criteria was conducted to review neuropsychiatric articles focused on neurological, biological and neuroimaging aspects of gender development, transgender identity and GD. The information obtained from the literature was then used to formulize a GD model. Distinct gray matter volume and brain activation and connectivity differences were found in individuals with GD compared to controls, suggesting a neurobiological basis of GD; which leads to the concept of brain gender. Individuals with GD encounter a recurrent conflict between their brain gender and the societal feedback; which causes recurrent and ongoing cognitive dissonance, finally leading to GD and functional connectivity and activation changes in the transgender brain. GD has neurobiological basis, but it is closely associated with the individuals' interaction with the external world, their self-perception and the feedback received in return. We propose a novel model where the development of GD includes cognitive dissonance, involving anterior cingulate cortex and ventral striatum as the key brain structures. This model can be used to generate testable hypotheses using behavioral and neuroimaging techniques to understand the neuropsychobiology of GD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Substance use during pregnancy is a public health problem. Prenatal drug exposure (PDE) is linked to abnormal physical growth, altered brain organization, and cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems later in life. Working memory (WM) plays an important role in the cognitive processes required for academic achievement, particularly for problem-solving, planning, and decision-making. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of studies measuring the effect of PDE on children's WM. Methods: Using the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers' Manual, we systematically reviewed eight studies (published 2008 to 2019) that measured the effects of PDE on WM among children ages 5 to 12. Results: Studies measuring prenatal exposure to methamphetamine, tobacco, or cocaine did not find differences in WM between PDE groups and controls. Nonetheless, three of the studies found that alcohol had negative effects on children's WM, pinpointing the potential of alcohol to disrupt neurocognitive development. Conclusion: We were not able to generate conclusions regarding the consequences of PDE on children's WM, but we discuss methodological issues and implications for future research on this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hippocampus is central to spatial learning and stress responsiveness, both of which differ in form and function in males versus females, yet precisely how the hippocampus contributes to these sex differences is largely unknown. In reproductively mature individuals, sex differences in the steroid hormone milieu undergirds many sex differences in hippocampal-related endpoints. However, there is also evidence for developmental programming of adult hippocampal function, with a central role for androgens as well as their aromatized byproduct, estrogens. These include sex differences in cell genesis, synapse formation, dendritic arborization, and excitatory/inhibitory balance. Enduring effects of steroid hormone modulation occur during two developmental epochs, the first being the classic perinatal critical period of sexual differentiation of the brain and the other being adolescence and the associated hormonal changes of puberty. The cellular mechanisms by which steroid hormones enduringly modify hippocampal form and function are poorly understood, but we here review what is known and highlight where attention should be focused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypersexuality is associated with psychiatric disorders such as mania; however, it remains unclear whether bipolar I disorder with (BW) or without (BO) hypersexuality demonstrates different responses to external emotional stimuli and their transitions that were composed of pictures and sounds of same domain. In 21 BW patients, 20 BO patients, and 41 healthy volunteers, we administered polygraph tests (electrocardiogram, electromyogram, electrooculogram, and galvanic skin response) to measure transitions from a primer emotion (i.e., external disgust, erotica, fear, happiness, neutral, and sadness) to a noncongruent emotion (out of the remaining five) and to the primer emotion again (repeat-primer). We also evaluated participants' concurrent states of mania, hypomania, and depression. With neutral as the noncongruent emotion, the heart rate difference in BW was greater than in controls when responses to the primer erotica were subtracted from responses to the repeat-primer erotica, or when to the primer sadness were subtracted from the repeat-primer sadness. The difference of the masseter electromyographic activity in BW was lower than in BO and controls when responses to the noncongruent happiness were subtracted from responses to the repeat-primer neutral, and was lower than in BO when to the noncongruent neutral were subtracted from the repeat-primer erotica. The eyeball movement difference was greater in BW than in BO and controls when responses to the noncongruent sadness were subtracted from responses to the repeat-primer neutral. The heart rate difference when responses to the primer happiness were subtracted from responses to the noncongruent neutral was negatively correlated with mania in BO. BW and BO patients behaved differently to external emotions and their transitions, particularly regarding erotica and sadness, which might characterize unique pathophysiological processes of the two bipolar I disorder subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has been linked to poorer performance on the Morris water maze (MWM), a test of spatial navigation in rodents that is dependent on hippocampal functioning. We recently confirmed these findings in children with PAE on a human analog of the MWM, the virtual water maze (VWM). Previous studies have shown that the hippocampus is particularly sensitive to PAE. Our aim was to determine whether hippocampal volume mediates the relation between PAE and virtual navigation. Methods: VWM and MRI hippocampal data were collected from 50 right‐handed 10‐year‐old children in a heavily exposed Cape Town, South African sample. PAE data had been collected from their mothers during pregnancy, and the children were examined by expert fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) dysmorphologists. In the VWM, the participant attempts to learn the location of a hidden platform in a virtual pool of water across a series of learning trials using only distal room cues. Hippocampal volumes were derived using FreeSurfer from MRI scans administered within 1 week of completing the VWM task. Results: Both the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)/partial FAS and nonsyndromal heavy‐exposed (HE) groups had smaller hippocampal volumes than controls. PAE was associated with reduced right hippocampal volumes even after control for total intracranial volume (ICV). Hippocampal volume was also positively associated with VWM performance. The relation between PAE and VWM performance was partially mediated by right hippocampal volume but not by total ICV. Conclusions: These data confirm previous reports linking PAE to poorer spatial navigation on the VWM and are the first to provide direct evidence that volume reductions in this region partially mediate the relation of FASD diagnosis to place learning, suggesting that PAE specifically impairs the ability to encode the spatial information necessary for successful location of the hidden platform on a navigation task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impulsivity is a multidimensional construct playing a pervasive role in psychiatry and neuropsychology. Lynam et al. (2006) have developed the 59-item UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale, which assesses five distinct impulsivity dimensions: positive urgency, negative urgency, lack of perseverance, lack of premeditation, and sensation seeking. The short, 20-item version of the UPPS-P (SUPPS-P; Billieux et al. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 53(5), 609–615, 2012) has been developed and adapted into several languages, including English, French, Italian, Spanish, and Arabic. The aim of the present study was to test four theoretical models of the SUPPS-P in a large sample of Hungarian adults. A total of 15,703 participants (64.76% male; Mage = 33.42 years, SD = 11.06) completed the SUPPS-P using an online questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analyses corroborated the first-order five-factor model of impulsivity and a hierarchical model representing three higher-order constructs (urgency, lack of conscientiousness, sensation seeking), whereas the one-factor and three-factor model were not supported. The factor structure of the SUPPS-P preserved the original, theory-driven structure of the UPPS-P model and this instrument demonstrated good internal consistency. Hypersexual behavior consequences were positively associated with most SUPPS-P components, thus criterion validity was also supported. The SUPPS-P had strong psychometric properties that reflected the theoretical structure of the original UPPS-P model, thus it constitutes a theoretically grounded and time saving multidimensional instrument for assessing impulsivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]