Why the study?
Many studies examining age-related effects on P300 are cross-sectional, and few have considered the unique role of pubertal development on P300 developmental trajectories.
Does age and pubertal maturation predict changes in P300 amplitude over two years in female adolescents?
Does age and pubertal maturation predict changes in P300 amplitude over two years in female adolescents?
Early-onset pubertal development in younger girls predicts differential trajectories of neural activity, specifically decreases in P300 amplitude, which may be linked to future mental health disorders.
Pubertal timing may shape neural trajectories in girls; hypothesis-generating for mental health links and requires prospective validation before any clinical use.
The P300 event-related potential (ERP) has been extensively studied across the human lifespan. However, many studies examining age-related effects are cross-sectional, and few have considered the unique role that pubertal development may have on P300 developmental trajectories. The current study examined whether age, pubertal maturation or their interaction predicted changes in P300 amplitude over two years among 129 females between the ages of 8 and 15 years at baseline. Participants completed a flanker task while EEG was recorded at a baseline and two-year follow-up visit. Both baseline age and increased pubertal development were associated with smaller P300 amplitude at follow-up. However, the influence of age was qualified by an interaction between age and pubertal maturation: among younger girls only, increased pubertal development predicted decreases in P300, whereas decreased pubertal development predicted increases in P300. These data indicate that pubertal timing impacts neurodevelopmental changes in P300 amplitude - such that high versus low pubertal development among 8- to 10-year-old girls predicted differential trajectories of neural activity. In light of links between reduced P300 and mental health disorders, such as depression, future studies might examine whether neurodevelopmental changes influenced by early-onset pubertal development could account for increases in these mental health problems.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Santopetro et al. (2023) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: