Adrenarche and Middle Childhood

Campbell, Benjamin

doi:10.1007/s12110-011-9120-x

Cited by 51 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 152 publications

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“…This developmental pattern (shared by chimpanzees and, to a lesser extent, gorillas; Bernstein et al 2012) results in a temporary decoupling between physical and behavioral development, consistent with the idea of middle childhood as a sexually differentiated phase of social learning and experimentation (Geary 2010). Moreover, adrenal androgens promote extended brain plasticity through synaptogenesis and may play an important role in shifting the allocation of the body's energetic resources away from brain development and toward the accumulation of muscle and fat in preparation for puberty (Campbell 2006(Campbell , 2011; see also Kuzawa et al 2014). …”

Section: Adrenarchesupporting

confidence: 57%

“…Adrenal androgens likely provide a major impulse for many of the psychological changes of middle childhood (Campbell 2006(Campbell , 2011Del Giudice et al 2009), including the emergence and intensification of sex differences across domains (see Table 1). Since the age of adrenarche correlates strongly with that of gonadarche (the awakening of the testes/ovaries that marks the beginning of puberty; Hochberg 2008), human development shows a peculiar pattern in which sexually differentiated brain pathways are activated several years before the development of secondary sexual characteristics.…”

Section: Adrenarchementioning

confidence: 99%

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Middle Childhood: An Evolutionary-Developmental Synthesis

Giudice

2017

Handbook of Life Course Health Development

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Section: Adrenarchesupporting

confidence: 57%

Section: Adrenarchementioning

confidence: 99%

Middle Childhood: An Evolutionary-Developmental Synthesis

Giudice

2017

Handbook of Life Course Health Development

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“…From the evolutionary perspective, it has been suggested that adrenarche is a key component of "juvenility," serving the adaptation of body composition and metabolic status to environmental conditions [37] . A second interesting hypothesis refers to the neuromodulatory effects of DHEAS in support of brain maturation in prepubertal children [38] . Standardized regression coefficients (95% CI) for DHEAS concentration at 7 years of age at birth and per sample-specific 1-SD increments in weight, length, and BMI changes from 0-2, 2-4, and 4-7 years ( n = 751).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early BMI Gain and Later Height Growth Predicts Higher DHEAS Concentrations in 7-Year-Old Chilean Children

Mericq

Pereira²,

Uauy³

2016

Horm Res Paediatr

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Background: Accelerated weight and height gain in infancy have been associated with premature adrenarche. However, the exact tempo of these events remains undefined. Thus, our goal wasto assess the relationship between early BMI and height growth in different periods before 7 years of age and plasma DHEAS levels at 7 years of age. Methods: This is a longitudinal follow-up of participants of the Growth and Obesity Chilean Cohort Study (GOCS) that represents Chilean children from low- to middle-income families. The subjects were 972 children (48% girls) with birth weights of 2,500-4,500 g for whom serial weight and height measurements from birth until 7 years were available. At 7 years of age, we also measured DHEAS, IGF-I, leptin, insulin, and other metabolic markers in serum. The main outcome of interest was plasma DHEAS concentrations at 7 years of age. Results: At 7 years of age, children with DHEAS >75th percentile of the sample were taller and fatter and presented higher HOMA-IR and IGF-I than their counterparts (p < 0.05). Children with higher DHEAS were heavier at 4 years of age and beyond compared to their counterparts (higher BMI [BMI SDS at 4 years: 1.16, 95% CI 1.02-1.29 vs. 0.83, 95% CI 0.76-0.91, p < 0.001]) and taller at 7 years of age (height SDS at 7 years: 0.19, 95% CI -0.08 to 0.31 vs. -0.001, 95% CI -0.06 to 0.06, p < 0.005). Conclusions: We observed weight and BMI from 2 to 4 years, and height gains from 4 to 7 years were associated with higher DHEAS levels at 7 years.

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“…It has been speculated that an increase in the DHEAS level at around 7 years of age enables the prolonged development of the prefrontal cerebral cortex in humans. As a neuroprotective hormone, DHEAS could protect synaptic plasticity in metabolically active parts of the brain [74]. There is some evidence on the anabolic effects of adrenarche.…”

Section: Physiologic Significance Of Adrenarchementioning

confidence: 99%

Premature Adrenarche - A Common Condition with Variable Presentation

et al. 2015

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Adrenarche refers to a maturational increase in the secretion of adrenal androgen precursors, mainly dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEAS). In premature adrenarche (PA), clinical signs of androgen action appear before the age of 8/9 years in girls/boys, concurrently with the circulating DHEA(S) concentrations above the usually low prepubertal level. The most pronounced sign of PA is the appearance of pubic/axillary hair, but also other signs of androgen effect (adult type body odor, acne/comedones, greasy hair, accelerated statural growth) are important to recognize. PA children are often overweight and taller than their peers, and the higher prevalence of PA in girls than in boys is probably explained by higher female adiposity and peripheral DHEA(S) conversion to active androgens. PA diagnosis requires exclusion of other causes of androgen excess: congenital adrenal hyperplasia, androgen-producing tumors, precocious puberty, and exogenous source of androgens. PA has been linked with unfavorable metabolic features including hyperinsulinism, dyslipidemia, and later-appearing ovarian hyperandrogenism. Although this common condition is usually benign, PA children with additional risk factors including obesity should be followed up, with the focus on weight and lifestyle. Long-term follow-up studies are warranted to clarify if the metabolic changes detected in PA children persist until adulthood.

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Adrenarche and Middle Childhood

Cited by 51 publications

References 152 publications

Middle Childhood: An Evolutionary-Developmental Synthesis

Middle Childhood: An Evolutionary-Developmental Synthesis

Early BMI Gain and Later Height Growth Predicts Higher DHEAS Concentrations in 7-Year-Old Chilean Children

Premature Adrenarche - A Common Condition with Variable Presentation

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