How puberty hormones shape the social brain and reactions to stress
Developmental programming of stress-sensitive neural circuits underlying social behavior
This work looks at whether hormones during puberty change brain circuits so teens and adults respond differently to social stress.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California at Davis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Davis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11263660 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers use a special mouse model (California mice) with a long adolescent period to mirror human teen brain development. They manipulate pubertal androgens (for example, removing testicular hormones or giving dihydrotestosterone) and measure changes in brain circuits and social behavior using modern neuroscience and molecular tools. The team focuses on behaviors like social vigilance that relate to anxiety and depression, and on sex differences that emerge during adolescence. The goal is to understand how puberty programs lifelong sensitivity to social stress so future treatments can target those mechanisms.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who developed or struggle with social anxiety, heightened stress responses, or mood problems that began or worsened during adolescence would be most relevant to these findings.
Not a fit: Patients with conditions unrelated to social stress or puberty-driven brain changes (for example, purely neurodegenerative or structural brain diseases) are unlikely to see direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent or treat stress-related problems by targeting puberty-driven hormone effects on the brain.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal studies suggest androgens influence social behavior, but applying circuit-level and molecular methods in California mice with extended adolescence is a relatively new and promising approach.
Where this research is happening
Davis, United States
- University of California at Davis — Davis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Trainor, Brian C — University of California at Davis
- Study coordinator: Trainor, Brian C
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.