Neuroactive Hormones and Personal Growth: Associations in Chilean Adolescents (ages 12-25) with Ovulatory Dysfunction

Overview

Journal Front Psychol

Date 2024 Sep 5

PMID 39233885

Authors

Juan Pablo Del Rio

Valeska Tapia

Hugo Soto

Pilar Vigil

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Hormones produced by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-gonadal (HPAG) axis are crucial for modulating central nervous system (CNS) function and development throughout a person's life. Disruptions in HPAG function can impact psychological development, particularly during adolescence-a period marked by psychological growth and the maturation of the HPAG axis. An early indicator of HPAG alterations is ovulatory dysfunction (OD), a common condition among adolescents.

Methods: This study explored the associations between neuroactive hormones and personal growth in adolescents with OD. Female participants aged 12-25 years with OD were recruited, and assessments were conducted to profile their basic hormonal levels and various dimensions of individual development, including self-concept clarity, sense of coherence, self-esteem, perfectionism, self-control, and mood states.

Results: Adolescents with OD ( = 117) had lower self-concept clarity and self-esteem compared to reference data. A significant portion of the sample displayed elevated levels of tension (71.25%), confusion (62.5%), fatigue (58.22%), and depression (52.6%). Self-esteem scores were negatively correlated with DHEAS ( = -0.224; = 0.026) and glucose ( = -0.249; = 0.010). Higher levels of free testosterone were associated with increased depression scores (coef = 0.2398; = 0.002), whereas higher estradiol levels were linked to lower aggressiveness scores (coef = -0.0648; = 0.001).

Discussion: These findings indicate that hormonal imbalances in adolescents with OD could affect personal growth. Further research is needed to establish causal relationships between the variables considered.

References

Vigil P, Contreras P, Alvarado J, Godoy A, Salgado A, Cortes M . Evidence of subpopulations with different levels of insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Hum Reprod. 2007; 22(11):2974-80. DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dem302. View

Dhillon-Smith R, Tobias A, Smith P, Middleton L, Sunner K, Baker K . The Prevalence of Thyroid Dysfunction and Autoimmunity in Women With History of Miscarriage or Subfertility. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020; 105(8). DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa302. View

Hampson E . Estrogen-related variations in human spatial and articulatory-motor skills. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1990; 15(2):97-111. DOI: 10.1016/0306-4530(90)90018-5. View

Liao W, Bai Y . Major depressive disorder induced by prolactinoma--a case report. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2013; 36(1):125.e1-2. DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2013.01.010. View

Contreras P, Salgado A, Bernal Y, Vigil P . A Simple and Improved Predictor of Insulin Resistance Extracted From the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test: The I0*G60. J Endocr Soc. 2019; 3(6):1154-1166. PMC: 6532672. DOI: 10.1210/js.2018-00342. View

Mandiola M, Arancibia M, Elton V, Madrid E, Meza N, Stojanova J . [Perfectionism, academic stress and social anxiety in female medical students and the risk for eating disorders]. Rev Med Chil. 2023; 150(8):1046-1053. DOI: 10.4067/S0034-98872022000801046. View

Matsuda M, DeFronzo R . Insulin sensitivity indices obtained from oral glucose tolerance testing: comparison with the euglycemic insulin clamp. Diabetes Care. 1999; 22(9):1462-70. DOI: 10.2337/diacare.22.9.1462. View

Pike C, Carroll J, Rosario E, Barron A . Protective actions of sex steroid hormones in Alzheimer's disease. Front Neuroendocrinol. 2009; 30(2):239-58. PMC: 2728624. DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2009.04.015. View

Cabrera-Reyes E, Limon-Morales O, Rivero-Segura N, Camacho-Arroyo I, Cerbon M . Prolactin function and putative expression in the brain. Endocrine. 2017; 57(2):199-213. DOI: 10.1007/s12020-017-1346-x. View

10.

Richa V, Rahul G, Sarika A . Macroprolactin; a frequent cause of misdiagnosed hyperprolactinemia in clinical practice. J Reprod Infertil. 2013; 11(3):161-7. PMC: 3719302. View

11.

Azcoitia I, Mendez P, Garcia-Segura L . Aromatase in the Human Brain. Androg Clin Res Ther. 2022; 2(1):189-202. PMC: 8744447. DOI: 10.1089/andro.2021.0007. View

12.

Krolick K, Zhu Q, Shi H . Effects of Estrogens on Central Nervous System Neurotransmission: Implications for Sex Differences in Mental Disorders. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2018; 160:105-171. PMC: 6737530. DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2018.07.008. View

13.

Randolph Jr J, Zheng H, Sowers M, Crandall C, Crawford S, Gold E . Change in follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol across the menopausal transition: effect of age at the final menstrual period. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010; 96(3):746-54. PMC: 3047231. DOI: 10.1210/jc.2010-1746. View

14.

Pillerova M, Borbelyova V, Pastorek M, Riljak V, Hodosy J, Frick K . Molecular actions of sex hormones in the brain and their potential treatment use in anxiety disorders. Front Psychiatry. 2022; 13:972158. PMC: 9492942. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.972158. View

15.

Bauer M, London E, Silverman D, Rasgon N, Kirchheiner J, Whybrow P . Thyroid, brain and mood modulation in affective disorder: insights from molecular research and functional brain imaging. Pharmacopsychiatry. 2003; 36 Suppl 3:S215-21. DOI: 10.1055/s-2003-45133. View

16.

Whitlock J, Heynen A, Shuler M, Bear M . Learning induces long-term potentiation in the hippocampus. Science. 2006; 313(5790):1093-7. DOI: 10.1126/science.1128134. View

17.

Luis E, Akrivou K, Bermejo-Martins E, Scalzo G, Oron J . The Interprocessual-Self Theory in Support of Human Neuroscience Studies. Front Psychol. 2022; 12:686928. PMC: 8832125. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.686928. View

18.

ANTONOVSKY A . The structure and properties of the sense of coherence scale. Soc Sci Med. 1993; 36(6):725-33. DOI: 10.1016/0277-9536(93)90033-z. View

19.

Fava M, Fava G, Kellner R, Buckman M, Lisansky J, Serafini E . Psychosomatic aspects of hyperprolactinemia. Psychother Psychosom. 1983; 40(1-4):257-62. DOI: 10.1159/000287773. View

20.

Rahiminejad M, Moaddab A, Rabiee S, Esna-Ashari F, Borzouei S, Hosseini S . The relationship between clinicobiochemical markers and depression in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Iran J Reprod Med. 2015; 12(12):811-6. PMC: 4330661. View