title: Puberty and adolescence as a time of vulnerability to stressors that alter neurobehavioral processes.
abstract: Puberty and adolescence are major life transitions during which an individual's physiology and behavior changes from that of a juvenile to that of an adult. Here we review studies documenting the effects of stressors during pubertal and adolescent development on the adult brain and behavior. The experience of complex or compound stressors during puberty/adolescence generally increases stress reactivity, increases anxiety and depression, and decreases cognitive performance in adulthood. These behavioral changes correlate with decreased hippocampal volumes and alterations in neural plasticity. Moreover, stressful experiences during puberty disrupt behavioral responses to gonadal hormones both in sexual performance and on cognition and emotionality. These behavioral changes correlate with altered estrogen receptor densities in some estrogen-concentrating brain areas, suggesting a remodeling of the brain's response to hormones. A hypothesis is presented that activation of the immune system results in chronic neuroinflammation that may mediate the alterations of hormone-modulated behaviors in adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Tobin Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-9271, USA; Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, Tobin Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-9271, USA. Electronic address: mkholder@cns.umass.edu.
authors.forename: Mary K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Holder
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Tobin Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-9271, USA; Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, Tobin Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-9271, USA. Electronic address: blaustein@cns.umass.edu.
authors.forename: Jeffrey D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Blaustein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000818:Animals; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D042341:Gonadal Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D011627:Puberty / Q000502:physiology*; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological
chemical_list: D042341:Gonadal Hormones
keywords: Anxiety; Cognitive function; Depression; Estradiol; Immune challenge; Progesterone; Sexual behavior; Stress; Stress reactivity