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Seminars in Reproductive Medicine Mar 2022Puberty is the process through which reproductive competence is achieved and comprises gonadarche and adrenarche. Breast development is the initial physical finding of... (Review)
Review
Puberty is the process through which reproductive competence is achieved and comprises gonadarche and adrenarche. Breast development is the initial physical finding of pubertal onset in girls and typically occurs between 8 and 13 years. Menarche normally occurs 2 to 3 years after the onset of breast development. Pubertal onset is controlled by the gonadotropin-releasing hormone pulse generator in the hypothalamus; however, environmental factors such as alterations in energy balance and exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals can alter the timing of pubertal onset. Improvement in nutritional and socioeconomic conditions over the past two centuries has been associated with a secular trend in earlier pubertal onset. Precocious puberty is defined as onset of breast development prior to 8 years and can be central or peripheral. Delayed puberty can be hypogonadotropic or hypergonadotropic and is defined as lack of breast development by 13 years or lack of menarche by 16 years. Both precocious and delayed puberty may have negative effects on self-esteem, potentially leading to psychosocial stress. Patients who present with pubertal differences require a comprehensive assessment to determine the underlying etiology and to devise an effective treatment plan.
Topics: Female; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; Humans; Menarche; Puberty; Puberty, Delayed; Puberty, Precocious
PubMed: 34560809
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1735892 -
Clinical Endocrinology Oct 2022The timing of pubertal development is strongly influenced by the genetic background, and clinical presentations of delayed puberty are often found within families with... (Review)
Review
The timing of pubertal development is strongly influenced by the genetic background, and clinical presentations of delayed puberty are often found within families with clear patterns of inheritance. The discovery of the underlying genetic regulators of such conditions, in recent years through next generation sequencing, has advanced the understanding of the pathogenesis of disorders of pubertal timing and the potential for genetic testing to assist diagnosis for patients with these conditions. This review covers the significant advances in the understanding of the biological mechanisms of delayed puberty that have occurred in the last two decades.
Topics: Humans; Hypogonadism; Puberty; Puberty, Delayed
PubMed: 34617615
DOI: 10.1111/cen.14606 -
Seminars in Reproductive Medicine Jul 2019Puberty is a fundamental developmental event in the lifespan of any individual, when sexual and somatic maturation is completed, and reproductive capacity is achieved.... (Review)
Review
Puberty is a fundamental developmental event in the lifespan of any individual, when sexual and somatic maturation is completed, and reproductive capacity is achieved. While the tempo of puberty is under strong genetic determination, it is also modulated by a wide array of internal and environmental cues, including, prominently, nutritional and metabolic signals. In the last decade, our understanding of the neurohormonal basis of normal puberty and its perturbations has enlarged considerably. This is illustrated by the elucidation of the essential roles of kisspeptins, encoded by the Kiss1 gene, in the hypothalamic circuits controlling puberty. Moreover, other neuropeptide pathways, convergent with kisspeptin signaling, have been pointed out as important coregulators of pubertal timing. These include the cotransmitters of Kiss1 neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARC), neurokinin B, and dynorphin, as well as melanocortins, produced by ARC neurons expressing proopiomelanocortin, which are endowed with key roles also in the control of metabolic homeostasis. This neuropeptide setup seemingly participates, in a coordinated manner, in transmitting the regulatory actions of metabolic cues on pubertal maturation. In this function, cellular metabolic sensors, such as the AMP-activated protein kinase, and the fuel-sensing deacetylase, SIRT1, have also been shown recently to contribute to the metabolic regulation of puberty. Altogether, elucidation of the physiological roles of these signals and regulatory circuits will help uncover the intimacies of the brain control of puberty, and its alterations in conditions of metabolic stress, ranging from subnutrition to obesity.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Hypothalamus; Kisspeptins; Neurokinin B; Neurons; Neuropeptides; Puberty; Reproduction; Sexual Maturation; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 31972860
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-3400967 -
Journal of Research on Adolescence :... Mar 2019In recent decades, theoretical and methodological advances have operated synergistically to advance understanding of puberty and prompt increasingly comprehensive models... (Review)
Review
In recent decades, theoretical and methodological advances have operated synergistically to advance understanding of puberty and prompt increasingly comprehensive models that engage with the temporal, psychosocial, and biological dimensions of this maturational milepost. This integrative overview discusses these theoretical and methodological advances and their implications for research and intervention to promote human development in the context of changing maturational schedules and massive ongoing social transformations.
Topics: Adolescent; Adolescent Development; Adolescent Health; Biological Evolution; Child; Female; Humans; Male; Neurosciences; Puberty; Sexual Maturation
PubMed: 30869841
DOI: 10.1111/jora.12411 -
International Journal of Adolescent... Feb 2023When a girl experiences her first period, she starts a new phase of her life and becomes biologically capable of becoming a mother and giving birth to a child. Girls'... (Review)
Review
When a girl experiences her first period, she starts a new phase of her life and becomes biologically capable of becoming a mother and giving birth to a child. Girls' hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis reaches "axial maturity" during puberty, when they are between the ages of 8 and 13 years old. Secondary biological features, including as growth, body-shape changes in females, breast growth, hair growth on the vulva, and hair growth on the axillary pits, are often observed during this era. The first menstruation, or menarche, is also commonly observed during this time. During the menstrual cycle, a woman's ability to conceive and give birth is at the core of her reproductive life.
Topics: Female; Adolescent; Child; Pregnancy; Humans; Menstruation; Menarche; Puberty; Menstruation Disturbances
PubMed: 36117242
DOI: 10.1515/ijamh-2022-0018 -
Best Practice & Research. Clinical... Jun 2019With the onset of puberty a range of problems may be encountered by the young girl. Some of these include a range of gynaecological issues relating to delayed onset of... (Review)
Review
With the onset of puberty a range of problems may be encountered by the young girl. Some of these include a range of gynaecological issues relating to delayed onset of puberty, delayed menarche, atypical pubertal changes and the identification of anomalies of the genital tract. The distinction between physiological events and pathological problems is important to avoid unnecessary distress and anxiety. The onset of cyclic hormonal changes also provokes a number of "non-gynaecological" problems - where the link to cyclic hormonal events is often overlooked and an important opportunity to potentially intervene and assist is missed. From a global perspective there are a range of problems that are particularly encountered with the onset of puberty including the risks of sexual violence, which in the setting of having achieved the age of reproductive potential result in unplanned pregnancies, unsafe abortions and adolescent pregnancy all of which pose life threatening risks. Sex education in its broadest sense is important for all young people. Access to contraception for adolescents is vital, such that clinicians across all streams of health care who are involved in the care of young people should take the opportunity to educate and provide this care.
Topics: Adenomyosis; Adolescent; Amenorrhea; Contraception; Female; Humans; Menstruation Disturbances; Ovarian Diseases; Pregnancy; Puberty; Uterine Hemorrhage
PubMed: 31278062
DOI: 10.1016/j.beem.2019.06.002 -
Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology Jan 2017Adolescence is a transitional period of physical and behavioral development between childhood and adulthood. Puberty is a distinct period of sexual maturation that... (Review)
Review
Adolescence is a transitional period of physical and behavioral development between childhood and adulthood. Puberty is a distinct period of sexual maturation that occurs during adolescence. Since the advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), human studies have largely examined neurodevelopment in the context of age. A breadth of animal findings suggest that sex hormones continue to influence the brain beyond the prenatal period, with both organizational and activational effects occurring during puberty. Given the animal evidence, human MRI research has also set out to determine how puberty may influence otherwise known patterns of age-related neurodevelopment. Here we review structural-based MRI studies and show that pubertal maturation is a key variable to consider in elucidating sex- and individual- based differences in patterns of human brain development. We also highlight the continuing challenges faced, as well as future considerations, for this vital avenue of research.
Topics: Adolescent; Animals; Brain; Female; Gonadal Steroid Hormones; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Puberty; Sexual Maturation
PubMed: 28007528
DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2016.12.003 -
Alcohol Research : Current Reviews 2017Adolescence represents a vulnerable period for developing youth. Alcohol use and misuse are especially problematic behaviors during this time. Adolescents are more... (Review)
Review
Adolescence represents a vulnerable period for developing youth. Alcohol use and misuse are especially problematic behaviors during this time. Adolescents are more sensitive to alcohol and less tolerant of its detrimental effects than are adults. Research in humans and animals has revealed that early alcohol consumption can result in delayed pubertal development. Animal studies have shown that alcohol detrimentally affects neuroendocrine systems within the hypothalamic region of the brain that are associated with the normal, timely onset of the pubertal process. To effectively restore development and shorten recovery time associated with the adverse effects of alcohol on puberty, researchers must first understand the molecular and physiological mechanisms by which alcohol interferes with critical hypothalamic functions.
Topics: Adolescent; Animals; Ethanol; Humans; Hypothalamus; Neurosecretory Systems; Puberty
PubMed: 28988578
DOI: No ID Found -
Current Opinion in Endocrinology,... Jun 2017To describe pubertal testicular growth in humans, changes in testicular cell populations that result in testicular growth, and the role of testosterone and... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
To describe pubertal testicular growth in humans, changes in testicular cell populations that result in testicular growth, and the role of testosterone and gonadotrophins follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in testicular growth. When human data were not available, studies in nonhuman primates and/or rodents were used as surrogates.
RECENT FINDINGS
Testicular growth in puberty follows a sigmoidal growth curve, with a large variation in timing of testicular growth and adult testicular volume. Testicular growth early in puberty is due to increase in Sertoli cell number and length of seminiferous tubules, whereas the largest and fastest growth results from the increase in the diameter of the seminiferous tubules first due to spermatogonial proliferation and then due to the expansion of meiotic and haploid germ cells. FSH stimulates Sertoli cell and spermatogonial proliferation, whereas LH/testosterone is mandatory to complete spermatogenesis. However, FSH and LH/testosterone work in synergy and are both needed for normal spermatogenesis.
SUMMARY
Testicular growth during puberty is rapid, and mostly due to germ cell expansion and growth in seminiferous tubule diameter triggered by androgens. Pre-treatment with FSH before the induction of puberty may improve the treatment of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, but remains to be proven.
Topics: Animals; Follicle Stimulating Hormone; Humans; Hypogonadism; Male; Puberty; Sexual Maturation; Spermatogenesis; Testis; Testosterone
PubMed: 28248755
DOI: 10.1097/MED.0000000000000339 -
Journal of Research on Adolescence :... Mar 2019Puberty research has been highly productive in the past few decades and is gaining momentum. We conducted an analysis of bibliographic data, including titles, abstracts,... (Review)
Review
Puberty research has been highly productive in the past few decades and is gaining momentum. We conducted an analysis of bibliographic data, including titles, abstracts, keywords, indexing terms, and citation data to assess the sheer numbers, audience and reach, publication types, and impact of puberty-related publications. Findings suggest that puberty-related publications are increasing in sheer numbers, and have reach in many fields as befits an interdisciplinary science. Puberty-related publications typically have higher impact in terms of citations than the journal averages, among the journals that published the most studies on puberty. Limitations of the field and recommendations for researchers to improve the impact and reach of puberty-related publications (e.g., clear conclusions in abstracts, highlighting the importance of puberty) are discussed.
Topics: Adolescent; Adolescent Health; Bibliometrics; Female; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Male; Puberty; Publishing; Research; Retrospective Studies; Sexual Maturation
PubMed: 30869844
DOI: 10.1111/jora.12396