Pubertal transition leads to enduring neuroendocrine changes along with changes in the epigenome. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders significantly increases in females compared to males after puberty. There is likely to be an interaction between epigenetics, hormones and neurophysiological processes during puberty, leading to the increased prevalence of mental disorders in females. This study aims to shed light on these interactions underlying the emerging sex differences after puberty. Specifically, it seeks to investigate the epigenetic modifications and subsequent changes in gene expression during the pubertal transition and their association with negative emotionality (e.g., acute stress response and depressive symptoms) at molecular, neuronal, subjective and physiological levels.
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DNA methylation differences between pre- and post-pubertal girls in candidate genes
Timeframe: Measured once after MRI measurement (approximately 30 minutes).
Correlation between DNA methylation and neuronal activity during acute stress
Timeframe: Measured once: 3 runs of MIST lasting 20 minutes in total.
The mediating role of sex steroids in DNA methlation and negative emotionality
Timeframe: Measured once for each part: 20 minutes for MIST, 30 minutes for blood and saliva collection, and 1 hour for questionnaires
Vanessa Nieratschker, Prof. Dr.