title: Estimating volumes of the pituitary gland from T1-weighted magnetic-resonance images: effects of age, puberty, testosterone, and estradiol.
abstract: The pituitary gland is a key structure in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis--it plays an important role in sexual maturation during puberty. Despite its small size, its volume can be quantified using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Here, we study a cohort of 962 typically developing adolescents from the Saguenay Youth Study and estimate pituitary volumes using a newly developed multi-atlas segmentation method known as the MAGeT Brain algorithm. We found that age and puberty stage (controlled for age) each predicts adjusted pituitary volumes (controlled for total brain volume) in both males and females. Controlling for the effects of age and puberty stage, total testosterone and estradiol levels also predict adjusted pituitary volumes in males and pre-menarche females, respectively. These findings demonstrate that the pituitary gland grows during adolescence, and its volume relates to circulating plasma-levels of sex steroids in both males and females.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Angelita Pui-Yee
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Kimel Family Translational Imaging Genetics Research Laboratory, Research Imaging Centre, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pipitone
authors.affiliation: Kimel Family Translational Imaging Genetics Research Laboratory, Research Imaging Centre, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Min Tae M
authors.initials: MTM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Erin W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Dickie
authors.affiliation: Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leonard
authors.affiliation: ECOBES, Cégep de Jonquière, Jonquière, Canada; University of Quebec in Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Canada.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perron
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
authors.forename: Bruce G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Pike
authors.affiliation: University of Quebec in Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Canada.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Richer
authors.affiliation: ECOBES, Cégep de Jonquière, Jonquière, Canada; University of Quebec in Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Canada.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Veillette
authors.affiliation: Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Canada; Kimel Family Translational Imaging Genetics Research Laboratory, Research Imaging Centre, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: M Mallar
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Chakravarty
authors.affiliation: The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Zdenka
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pausova
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. Electronic address: tpaus@research.baycrest.org.
authors.forename: Tomáš
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Paus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent / Q000502:physiology*; D000367:Age Factors; D000465:Algorithms; D002648:Child; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D011627:Puberty / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol