Adolescent development HC 2
Physical development
Er zijn een aantal perioden waarin een kind veel groeit: prenataal, rond 2 jaar en in de
puberteit. Het verschil is dat het kind nu kan reflecteren op die groei. Dat kon hij voorheen
nog niet.
Lecture outline
• Describing, defining and measuring puberty
• Theories of how puberty is related to psychosocial development
• Sleep issues during adolescence
• Brain development (if time – otherwise next lecture 3; slides in another set)
Learning objectives
• Part 1:
o Describing the physiological changes that make up puberty
o Distinguishing: pubertal status, pubertal timing, pubertal tempo
o Describing factors that influence the timing of puberty
o Understanding how puberty is measured and problems for research
• Part 2:
o Understanding theories about the effects of pubertal development
• Part 3:
o Understanding causes and consequence of adolescent sleep problems
• Part 4:
o Understanding adolescent brain development and its implications for behavior
Pubertal development
• Puberty = the transitional process during which the primary sex characteristics (e.g,
testes, ovaries) and secondary sex characteristics (breasts, pubic hair) mature
resulting in the capacity to sexually/physically reproduce.
o That means that sexual motivation, interest and behaviour also increases.
• The changes that occur at puberty have their origins prenatally.
o Also called ‘mini-puberty’
• Gonads develop during fetal growth.
o Fetuses start off with a female design
o In males androgens are secreted by the gonads initiating the process that
results in male sex organs and has organizing influences on the developing
brain, specifically the hypothalamicpituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis.
Five areas of changes:
• Maturation of reproductive organs, secondary sex characteristics
• Nervous and endocrine systems
• Skeletal growth (bones will get heavier and longer)
• Body composition & distribution of fat and muscle (habitus)
• Circulatory and respiratory systems (peak of physical health: athletes)
There are differences in when puberty occurs (early or late matureres) and this makes it so
interesting.
• Tanner: early, on-time and late developers
• Late maturers/developers catch up: they mature later, but also faster.
, Adolescent development HC 2
Three ways to think about pubertal development
• Pubertal timing (early, on–time and late)
• Pubertal status (what stage are you in in terms of your puberty? 5 stages)
o 1: pre-pubertal
o 2: beginning
o 3/4: middle
o 5: completed
• Pubertal tempo (rate: how fast are you going through the stages?)
Timing and status are usually confounding. Solution: follow kids over time (longitudinal).
Regulation of hormonal changes
• Two major feedback systems associated with puberty
o HPG axis hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis
o HPA axis hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis
o Both use negative feedback to determine the amount of circulating hormones.
• Two relatively independent processes occur:
o Adrenarche occurs when the adrenal glands begin producing androgens in
both boys and girls, the HPA axis is activated.
▪ This axis is for both boys and girls (this is why they both have pubic
hair)
o Gonarche occurs when the HPG axis is reactivated with large increases in
gonadotropins, lutenizing hormones (LH) and follicle stimulating hormones
(FSH).
▪ There are differences between boys and girls (this is why you can
distinguish between a women’s or men’s skull)
, Adolescent development HC 2
Keep in mind: puberty linked with hypothalamus and surrounding limbic system
• Hypothalamus is linked with these changes and also related to sexual motivation etc.
Hormones
• Testosterone
o Increases 10-20 times in males, slightly in females
o Stimulates muscle growth
• Estrogen
o Increases 8-10 times in females, slightly in males (this is why some boys
develop small breasts, which eventually go away)
o Cause accumulation of fat under skin
Physical development
Er zijn een aantal perioden waarin een kind veel groeit: prenataal, rond 2 jaar en in de
puberteit. Het verschil is dat het kind nu kan reflecteren op die groei. Dat kon hij voorheen
nog niet.
Lecture outline
• Describing, defining and measuring puberty
• Theories of how puberty is related to psychosocial development
• Sleep issues during adolescence
• Brain development (if time – otherwise next lecture 3; slides in another set)
Learning objectives
• Part 1:
o Describing the physiological changes that make up puberty
o Distinguishing: pubertal status, pubertal timing, pubertal tempo
o Describing factors that influence the timing of puberty
o Understanding how puberty is measured and problems for research
• Part 2:
o Understanding theories about the effects of pubertal development
• Part 3:
o Understanding causes and consequence of adolescent sleep problems
• Part 4:
o Understanding adolescent brain development and its implications for behavior
Pubertal development
• Puberty = the transitional process during which the primary sex characteristics (e.g,
testes, ovaries) and secondary sex characteristics (breasts, pubic hair) mature
resulting in the capacity to sexually/physically reproduce.
o That means that sexual motivation, interest and behaviour also increases.
• The changes that occur at puberty have their origins prenatally.
o Also called ‘mini-puberty’
• Gonads develop during fetal growth.
o Fetuses start off with a female design
o In males androgens are secreted by the gonads initiating the process that
results in male sex organs and has organizing influences on the developing
brain, specifically the hypothalamicpituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis.
Five areas of changes:
• Maturation of reproductive organs, secondary sex characteristics
• Nervous and endocrine systems
• Skeletal growth (bones will get heavier and longer)
• Body composition & distribution of fat and muscle (habitus)
• Circulatory and respiratory systems (peak of physical health: athletes)
There are differences in when puberty occurs (early or late matureres) and this makes it so
interesting.
• Tanner: early, on-time and late developers
• Late maturers/developers catch up: they mature later, but also faster.
, Adolescent development HC 2
Three ways to think about pubertal development
• Pubertal timing (early, on–time and late)
• Pubertal status (what stage are you in in terms of your puberty? 5 stages)
o 1: pre-pubertal
o 2: beginning
o 3/4: middle
o 5: completed
• Pubertal tempo (rate: how fast are you going through the stages?)
Timing and status are usually confounding. Solution: follow kids over time (longitudinal).
Regulation of hormonal changes
• Two major feedback systems associated with puberty
o HPG axis hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis
o HPA axis hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis
o Both use negative feedback to determine the amount of circulating hormones.
• Two relatively independent processes occur:
o Adrenarche occurs when the adrenal glands begin producing androgens in
both boys and girls, the HPA axis is activated.
▪ This axis is for both boys and girls (this is why they both have pubic
hair)
o Gonarche occurs when the HPG axis is reactivated with large increases in
gonadotropins, lutenizing hormones (LH) and follicle stimulating hormones
(FSH).
▪ There are differences between boys and girls (this is why you can
distinguish between a women’s or men’s skull)
, Adolescent development HC 2
Keep in mind: puberty linked with hypothalamus and surrounding limbic system
• Hypothalamus is linked with these changes and also related to sexual motivation etc.
Hormones
• Testosterone
o Increases 10-20 times in males, slightly in females
o Stimulates muscle growth
• Estrogen
o Increases 8-10 times in females, slightly in males (this is why some boys
develop small breasts, which eventually go away)
o Cause accumulation of fat under skin
