Stress and early puberty: is the limbic brain the key?
Lead Research Organisation:
King's College London
Department Name: Women's Health
Abstract
Hypothesis: Dynamic developmental changes in kisspeptin and GABA/glutamate activity in the posterodorsal subnucleus of the medial amygdala (MePD) regulate hypothalamic GnRH pulse generator frequency to govern the timing of puberty onset, and psychological stress delays puberty consequent to an action of urocortin 3 on this novel MePD neurocircuitry. Objectives: 1. Establish that the MePD kisspeptin system is the key central component of the neural mechanism triggering puberty onset. 2. Investigate the role of urocortin 3 in the MePD in psychological stress-induced delay of puberty.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Paul Taylor (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Deyana Ivanova (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MR/N013700/1 | 01/10/2016 | 30/09/2025 | |||
| 1930782 | Studentship | MR/N013700/1 | 01/10/2017 | 31/12/2021 | Deyana Ivanova |
| Title | The effect of stress on puberty: underlying neural mechanisms |
| Description | I was contacted by SciAni, an animation company, interested in depicting my current research into a short-animated (2 minute, 2D) video with an engaging voiceover script. I thought this would be an attractive, concise and effective way of communicating complex information, which can be very useful for children, students and members of the general public interested in learning and staying informed about scientific advances. This collaborative effort will help to increase awareness of my research educating and improving public knowledge of scientific concepts. I have worked closely with SciAni to bring to life how psychological stress affects neural signalling in the part of the brain that controls emotions and the impact on puberty. I feel this project encompasses various themes of great interest to the public, including mental health, the interaction between brain and body, the pubertal switch and can raise awareness about the deleterious effects that stress and altered pubertal timing can have on the health of an individual later in life. I hope this video becomes a crucial part of my future outreach plans, scientific conferences, web-pages, future interviews and any other science related events. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Impact | I have requested that SciAni conducts a global untargeted promotion across several social media platforms. Impact Reports will be provided no later than 5 weeks from production release. All viewer statistics will be provided. I am yet to receive this impact report. |