Sex effects on structural maturation of the limbic system and outcomes on emotional regulation during adolescence

Though adolescence is a time of emerging sex differences in emotions, sex-related differences in the anatomy of the maturing brain has been under-explored over this period. The aim of this study was to investigate whether puberty and sexual differentiation in brain maturation could explain emotional differences between girls and boys during adolescence. We adapted a dedicated longitudinal pipeline to process structural and diffusion images from 335 typically developing adolescents between 14 and 16 years. We used voxel-based and Regions of Interest approaches to explore sex and puberty effects on brain and behavioral changes during adolescence. Sexual differences in brain maturation were characterized by amygdala and hippocampal volume increase in boys and decrease in girls. These changes were mediating the sexual differences in positive emotional regulation as illustrated by positive attributes increase in boys and decrease in girls. Moreover, the differential maturation rates between the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex highlighted the delayed maturation in boys compared to girls. This is the first study to show the sex effects on the differential cortico/subcortical maturation rates and the interaction between sex and puberty in the limbic system maturation related to positive attributes, reported as being protective from emotional disorders.Peer reviewe

Sex effects on structural maturation of the limbic system and outcomes on emotional regulation during adolescence

International audienc

Islamic Ethical Considerations on Medical Decision-Making in Adolescence

Medical decision-making in adolescence has not been studied in-depth from the Islamic bioethics perspective. The objective of this dissertation is to use the Islamic ethical position to explore the adolescent medical decision-making process in Canada so as to contribute to building frameworks for Islamic bioethics consumers such as patients, physicians and policymakers. A descriptive literature review is conducted to analyze data from related disciplines such as Islamic theology, developmental psychology, law and clinical ethics through principles of Islamic ethics such as objectives of Sharīʿa, legal maxims and operational maxims. The concepts of taklīf, ahliyya, bulūgh and rushd are focused on due to their criticality in judging moral, religious and legal obligations of the adolescent, as well as adolescents’ decision-making capacity. Our research shows that approaching the process of adolescents’ medical decision-making in Canada from an Islamic ethics perspective involves certain factors. These include intention of medical intervention (ḍarūrī, taḥsīnī or hājī), adolescents’ competence and emotional maturity, potential benefit/harm of the procedure, and their family’s role in decision-making. A guideline using Islamic ethics featuring ‘questions to ask’ is then provided for healthcare workers regarding adolescents’ medical decision-making in Canada

Feeling sad, angry, or scared: An investigation of gender differences in the regulation of specific emotions, and their relationship with mental health

Gender differences in the regulation of sadness, anger, and fear, and their relationship with variables associated with mental health, were examined in the present research. Emotion regulation (ER) refers to the different ways that we manage our emotions, and ER has an important impact on many areas of life, including mental health. The majority of research in the field of ER has focused on general affective states, such as negative emotion, stress, or mood. Consequently, it is unclear if ER, and gender differences in ER, differs according to the specific emotion being regulated, such as sadness, anger, or fear. It is important to investigate gender differences in ER in an emotion-specific manner because there is evidence that males and females are socialised to respond to their emotions in different ways, which may impact how they regulate their emotions. Also, there are prominent gender differences in some variables that are associated with mental health. However, the relationship between gender, ER, and mental health has not been examined in an emotion-specific manner so far. This is problematic, because there is evidence that the relationship between ER and mental health may depend on the specific emotion being regulated. The aims of the present research were (1) to examine if there are gender differences in the regulation of three specific emotions – sadness, anger, and fear, and (2) to investigate if gender differences in the regulation of sadness, anger, and fear are related to gender differences in variables associated with mental health. These aims were achieved by conducting two empirical studies. In Study 1, participants completed open-ended questionnaires which asked about the regulation of specific emotions. The responses from these questionnaires were coded into ER strategies to examine the relationship between gender and the use of these strategies to regulate specific emotions. In Study 2, participants completed an Emotion Regulation Task (ERT) which involved looking at emotional pictures and using ER strategies to regulate the specific emotions that arose. Participants also completed self-report questionnaires measuring variables associated with mental health. Gender differences in ER were found, but these often depended on the specific emotion being regulated and the ER strategy being used. Also, ER partly explained some of the gender differences in variables associated with mental health, but again, this depended on the specific emotion being regulated, and the ER strategy. These findings have important implications for theory, because they highlight the lack of a theoretical framework for understanding the regulation of specific emotions. However, it is proposed that existing models can be easily altered to accommodate this emotion-specific paradigm. These findings also have important implications for therapeutic practice, because they show that the emotional context and gender of the individual may impact the use and effectiveness of ER strategies. This may guide tailoring therapeutic interventions such as ER training to the specific emotional context, which may help to increase treatment success. Overall, the findings of this research highlight the importance of investigating ER in an emotion-specific manner. The key message from this research is that what is known about the regulation of one emotion cannot necessarily be applied to all emotions or negative emotion in general. Therefore, it may be helpful to examine ER in an emotion-specific manner moving forward.Gender differences in the regulation of sadness, anger, and fear, and their relationship with variables associated with mental health, were examined in the present research. Emotion regulation (ER) refers to the different ways that we manage our emotions, and ER has an important impact on many areas of life, including mental health. The majority of research in the field of ER has focused on general affective states, such as negative emotion, stress, or mood. Consequently, it is unclear if ER, and gender differences in ER, differs according to the specific emotion being regulated, such as sadness, anger, or fear. It is important to investigate gender differences in ER in an emotion-specific manner because there is evidence that males and females are socialised to respond to their emotions in different ways, which may impact how they regulate their emotions. Also, there are prominent gender differences in some variables that are associated with mental health. However, the relationship between gender, ER, and mental health has not been examined in an emotion-specific manner so far. This is problematic, because there is evidence that the relationship between ER and mental health may depend on the specific emotion being regulated. The aims of the present research were (1) to examine if there are gender differences in the regulation of three specific emotions – sadness, anger, and fear, and (2) to investigate if gender differences in the regulation of sadness, anger, and fear are related to gender differences in variables associated with mental health. These aims were achieved by conducting two empirical studies. In Study 1, participants completed open-ended questionnaires which asked about the regulation of specific emotions. The responses from these questionnaires were coded into ER strategies to examine the relationship between gender and the use of these strategies to regulate specific emotions. In Study 2, participants completed an Emotion Regulation Task (ERT) which involved looking at emotional pictures and using ER strategies to regulate the specific emotions that arose. Participants also completed self-report questionnaires measuring variables associated with mental health. Gender differences in ER were found, but these often depended on the specific emotion being regulated and the ER strategy being used. Also, ER partly explained some of the gender differences in variables associated with mental health, but again, this depended on the specific emotion being regulated, and the ER strategy. These findings have important implications for theory, because they highlight the lack of a theoretical framework for understanding the regulation of specific emotions. However, it is proposed that existing models can be easily altered to accommodate this emotion-specific paradigm. These findings also have important implications for therapeutic practice, because they show that the emotional context and gender of the individual may impact the use and effectiveness of ER strategies. This may guide tailoring therapeutic interventions such as ER training to the specific emotional context, which may help to increase treatment success. Overall, the findings of this research highlight the importance of investigating ER in an emotion-specific manner. The key message from this research is that what is known about the regulation of one emotion cannot necessarily be applied to all emotions or negative emotion in general. Therefore, it may be helpful to examine ER in an emotion-specific manner moving forward