Investigating the Relationship between Puberty and Cognitive Brain Development

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Brain imaging studies have demonstrated that dramatic changes in structure and function occur within the human brain during adolescence, and have established that certain of these changes, particularly those involved with social cognition, self-awareness and risk-taking, coincide with puberty. Recent advances in our understanding of adolescent brain development have driven intense interest and controversy in fields including criminal responsibility and public health policy. It is unclear whether these brain changes relate solely to advancing chronological age, or relate to the biological changes of puberty. This project investigates the relationship between puberty and brain development by studying adolescent behaviour and performance, and by using structural and functional MRI techniques. The key goals are: 1. To elucidate whether puberty is associated with changes in brain structure and activity during social cognition and risk-taking tasks, independently of age. We will do this in two populations i) 42 typically developing adolescents aged 13 incorporating early and late pubertal stages ii) a clinical sample of 21 individuals aged 15 with delayed normal puberty compared to 21 post-pubertal age-matched controls. 2. To investigate whether changes in brain performance, structure and functional activity are associated with risky behaviours and depression in adolescence.