title: Sex steroids and brain structure in pubertal boys and girls: a mini-review of neuroimaging studies.
abstract: Puberty is an important period during development hallmarked by increases in sex steroid levels. Human neuroimaging studies have consistently reported that in typically developing pubertal children, cortical and subcortical gray matter is decreasing, whereas white matter increases well into adulthood. From animal studies it has become clear that sex steroids are capable of influencing brain organization, both during the prenatal period as well as during other periods characterized by massive sex steroid changes such as puberty. Here we review structural neuroimaging studies and show that the changes in sex steroids availability during puberty and adolescence might trigger a period of structural reorganization of grey and white matter in the developing human brain. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Neuroactive Steroids: Focus on Human Brain.
authors.affiliation: Leiden Institute of Psychology, Brain and Development Laboratory, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands. j.s.peper@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Peper
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Hulshoff Pol
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Crone
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Honk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods; D039781:PubMed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011627:Puberty / Q000378:metabolism*; D013256:Steroids / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D013256:Steroids; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol