ESPE Yearbook of Paediatric Endocrinology

To read the full abstract: Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2018; 97: 156–163.

Anxiety disorders are common in childhood and adolescence and the transition from childhood to adolescence seems to be a vulnerable period for the development of anxiety symptoms. This article elucidates the impact of androgens (DHEA, DHEAS and testosterone) on functional connectivity of the amygdala while processing fearful facial expressions and the relation to anxiety symptoms. 83 children (40 boys, 43 girls; mean age 9.5 years) underwent a functional MRI scan of the brain while looking at fearful and calm facial expressions. They also completed the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS). The concentrations of androgens were also determined in saliva in the morning. Amygdala connectivity was analyzed.

Androgen concentrations (DHEA; DHEAS; T) did not directly correlate with SCAS scores. However, in boys, both DHEA and T were positively associated with left amygdala connectivity with the visual cortex. In addition, T was related to more positive left amygdala connectivity with the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). In girls, DHEAS concentrations showed a negative correlation with the right amygdala connectivity to the fusiform face area (FFA) and to the insula. In the mediation analysis in boys, the authors showed that higher DHEAS concentrations were indirectly related to greater SCAS social anxiety and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms through more positive left amygdala-visual cortex connectivity. In girls, increased DHEAS was indirectly associated with less anxiety, through less positive amygdala-fusiform gyrus connectivity. In both sexes, DHEAS concentrations were indirectly related to less SCAS OC symptoms through weaker positive amygdala-cerebellum connectivity.

These findings highlight important sex differences in the relation between adrenarcheal hormones, functional connectivity of the amygdala and anxiety during childhood. They also suggest that amygdala connectivity may be an important neural mechanism in the link between adrenarcheal hormones and anxiety symptoms in children.