Developmental Changes in the Structure of Executive Function from Early To Late Adolescence.

Association of stressful life events with depressive symptoms among adolescents: A network analysis.

Theory of mind variability in schizophrenia: A neurodevelopmental perspective through neurological soft signs and premorbid adjustment.

Cannabidiol attenuates behavioral and electrophysiological changes in the MAM model of schizophrenia in male and female rats.

Abstract OP 36: Challenges and Opportunities for Health 2, B207 (FCSH), September 5, 2025, 10:15 - 11:15 Background Late adolescence includes self-discovery and continued emotional, cognitive and physiologic development. For millions of teens, this life stage transpires during irregular migration, where they confront unexpected opportunities, negotiate agency, and transect boundaries. Both unaccompanied and accompanied adolescent migrants navigate unsettling uncertainty during transit/ temporary resettlement, often expressing resilience through interactions with other migrants, age-peers, or post-hoc family-like units. Researchers working with adolescent migrants face ethical and logistical complexities that benefit from community collaboration. Objective to explore how community partnerships facilitate and inform research with adolescent migrants through formal and informal co-creation. Methods We draw on 3 examples of research with adolescent migrants carried out in partnership with service providers, shelters, and migrant youth organizations in three different global regions to highlighting the unique complexities of migrant youth research based in community settings. Results Key themes that emerged from our combined work include challenges surrounding: consent and assent; institutional policies on working with ‘minors’; selection of teen-friendly approaches, language, and assessment settings and structures to accommodate the heterogeneity within adolescence; societal othering/ xenophobia; and intricacies of including siblings within studies. Youth transiting through Mexico demonstrate engaging in practices of solidarity in transient communities defined by shared experiences. An adult-centric view on the part of service providers, IRBs and researchers may obscure adolescents’ agency. In Türkiye, participatory-based research with forcibly displaced adolescents supports outreach, co-design of health initiatives, and youth empowerment, especially when local youth are included. In resettlement contexts in the US, embedding health research within legal service provision settings facilitates access and enriches results but also implies balancing competing priorities, and trust building across disciplines. Conclusion Health-related research with migrant or refugee adolescents, whether emancipated, ‘disconnected’, or residing within family units is uniquely informed and challenged when carried out in partnership with community based providers.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are critical regulators of neurodevelopment and are implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is increasingly recognized as a neurodevelopmental disorder, with most cases emerging during late adolescence and early adulthood, which is a critical period of brain maturation. However, the study of miRNAs during this phase has been limited by the challenges of postmortem brain analysis. Neuron-derived extracellular vesicles (NEVs) have recently been proposed for investigating brain-derived molecular profiles. In this study, NEVs were enriched from plasma using the L1CAM antibody in patients with recent-onset schizophrenia (ROS) within 5 years of onsets and chronic-phase schizophrenia (CS). The miRNA profiles of these NEVs in patients with ROS and CS were compared with those of age-and sex-matched healthy controls. Differential expression analysis revealed miRNA changes specific to the recent-onset phase as well as possible pathophysiological mechanisms transitioning from the recent-onset to the chronic phases. These findings provide novel insights into the role of miRNAs in neurodevelopmental abnormalities associated with schizophrenia onset. This study highlights the utility of NEVs as a tool for accessing brain-derived miRNA profiles and diagnostic biomarkers and underscores the importance of an onset period as a critical window for understanding the molecular underpinnings of schizophrenia.

Teenage pregnancy is a persistent public health concern in low- and middleincome countries, including Nigeria, where socio-economic and gender-based vulnerabilities increase adolescent risk. This study assessed the prevalence, contributing factors, consequences, and prevention strategies of teenage pregnancy among adolescents attending the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Unit at General Hospital Gusau, Zamfara State. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2023 to May 2024. Using purposive sampling, 74 adolescent girls aged 13–19 years were recruited. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and hospital records. Descriptive statistics were applied, and prevalence was estimated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The prevalence of teenage pregnancy was 4.1% (95% CI: 0.1%–11.6%), with most cases among late adolescents (16–19 years). Contributing factors included poverty (24.3%), low educational attainment (18.9%), and sexual abuse (16.2%). Reported psychosocial consequences were stigma (48.6%) and maternal depression (31.1%). Healthcare providers recommended strengthening adolescent health services, early identification of high-risk behaviours, and improving access to family planning, though resistance to comprehensive sexuality education was noted. Despite the relatively low prevalence, teenage pregnancy in this setting is linked with significant psychosocial and socio-economic burdens. Addressing this issue requires integrated, culturally sensitive interventions that reduce poverty, expand educational opportunities, prevent sexual abuse, and improve adolescent-friendly reproductive health services. Greater community acceptance of sexuality education and protection of adolescent reproductive rights are critical to sustainable prevention.

BackgroundObesity and poor physical fitness in youth are established risk factors for future cardiovascular disease and cancer. However, their potential impact on the risk of severe bacterial infections later in life remains unclear.MethodsThis register‐based cohort study followed almost 1 million Swedish conscripts (mean age 18.3 years) over a period of three decades. Measured body mass index (BMI) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) at conscription to military service served as exposure variables, whereas outcomes included morbidity and mortality attributed to bacterial pneumonia, sepsis, and infective endocarditis.ResultsHigh BMI and low CRF in late adolescence were strongly associated with an increased risk of bacterial pneumonia, sepsis, and infective endocarditis in adulthood. The highest risk was seen among the obese for sepsis (hazard ratio [HR] 3.1 (2.7–3.5)), with elevated hazards observed already at high‐normal BMI levels (22.5–25 kg/m2), compared with BMI 18.5–19.9. The risk of dying due to bacterial infections increased gradually with higher BMI. High, compared with low CRF, was associated with lower risk of contracting bacterial infections (0.78, 0.76–0.80), and dying from them (0.58, 0.51–0.65).ConclusionHigh BMI and low CRF in adolescence are associated with an increased risk of contracting and dying of severe bacterial infections later in life. Hence, addressing these preventable risk factors in youths may serve as an effective measure to improve their long‐term health.

Proboscis lateralis is an uncommon craniofacial malformation characterized by the presence of a rudimentary tubular nasal appendage originating from the medial canthal region. The degree of severity varies according to the extent of associated structural involvement, which may include ocular and nasal abnormalities, cleft lip and/or palate, and concurrent intracranial anomalies. Multidisciplinary approach is the mainstay of definite management. We report the case of a 4-month-old infant who presented with a 3-cm tubular lesion arising from the right medial canthus. The lesion contained a central opening with intermittent cerebrospinal fluid leakage, particularly during episodes of crying or straining. The patient was initially misdiagnosed with an ophthalmic disorder and underwent multiple referrals before definitive evaluation at our unit. Computed tomography revealed herniation of a portion of the right frontal lobe through a 2 × 1cm bony defect into the preseptal region. The lesion was excised, and the fascial defect was repaired following plastic and reconstructive surgical principles. Postoperative recovery was uneventful, and the patient was discharged in stable condition 48h later. Corrective management of the right hypoplastic nostril was deferred until late adolescence to address potential functional or cosmetic concerns.

The increasing incidence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) among Malaysian late adolescents, coupled with insufficient HIV knowledge, necessitates immediate attention to HIV prevention via education. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a new Information-Motivation-Behavioural Skills (IMB) model-based education kit (PREM-Kit) in improving knowledge and attitudes related to HIV among Malaysian late adolescents. A 16-week quasi-experimental trial was conducted at two campuses of a local public university, involving 187 participants. The intervention group received PREM-Kit’s intervention in addition to the curriculum-mandated basic science and biology module, whereas the control group received only the curriculum-mandated basic science and biology module. Repeated measure analysis of variance (RMANOVA) and covariance (RMANCOVA) were used to examine the effectiveness of PREM-Kit’s intervention on knowledge and attitudes between groups at four time points (t0-t3). The intervention group exhibited a significant increase in the knowledge score (mean difference = 2.66; 95% CI = 2.22,3.10; p < 0.001) and attitude score (mean difference = 2.74; 95% CI = 1.90,3.59; p < 0.001), which was sustained throughout the 16-week study period. In conclusion, PREM-Kit was effective in improving late adolescents’ knowledge and attitudes related to HIV prevention. It has the potential to be a beneficial package for educating and empowering late adolescents on HIV prevention.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-25215-w.

BackgroundBipolar disorder (BD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are classified as distinct diagnostic categories. However, early identification of BD from MDD is challenging due to their high overlap in clinical features, particularly in late adolescence and early adulthood. This study aimed to explore biomarkers for the early identification of BD from MDD.MethodsThe study consists of 139 BD, 148 unipolar depression (UD), and 128 healthy controls (HC) participants ranging from late adolescence to early adulthood. In addition, an independent group of 62 patients initially diagnosed with MDD at baseline and transitioned to BD during follow-up was identified as initial depressive episode BD (IDE-BD). Cortical thickness and surface area were measured for all participants, along with the associations with clinical symptoms.ResultsIDE-BD shares similar cortical thickness patterns with BD and UD. Compared to HC, cortical thinning in the left inferior temporal cortex was observed across all depressive episode groups. Cortical thickness alterations in the right caudal anterior cingulate cortex (cACC.R) were observed specifically in the BD and IDE-BD but were absent in the UD. Compared to UD, IDE-BD exhibited significantly increased cortical thickness in the cACC.R. Moreover, the increase in cACC.R thickness in the IDE-BD was associated with hypomania and suicide risk scores.ConclusionsIn this cross-diagnostic study focusing on late adolescence and early adulthood, we found evidence suggesting shared and disease-specific cortical thickness patterns of depressive episodes. Our study offers potential insights into the neuropathological mechanisms of mood disorders and may contribute to the early identification of BD from MDD.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12916-025-04466-4.

Teenage pregnancy continues to be a major public health issue in the Philippines, with Northern Mindanao having one of the highest prevalence rates, especially in rural and geographically remote communities. The present study was conducted to determine and describe family factors that affect teenage pregnancy among pregnant teenagers in the 13 to 19-year age group residing in Barangay Lanise, Claveria, Misamis Oriental, between 2017 and 2024. Descriptive correlational research and total enumeration sampling were used. Data were collected from 34 pregnant teenagers using a validated and culturally adapted questionnaire measuring family structure, family income, family function, and parenting style. Data analysis involved the application of descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and Spearman correlation. Results showed that most respondents were late adolescents (76%), predominantly residents in Zone 6 (44%), and 65% came from intact families. The majority reported adequate family income and ratings of excellent for family function and parenting style, with evidence of supportive home environments. Logistic regression could not identify any notable correlations between family structure and family factors, but there was a very strong correlation identified by Spearman's correlation between parenting style and family function (r = 0.65, p &lt; 0.001). From these findings, it is clear that teenage pregnancy occurs in quite a broad spectrum of family situations, both with functional and economically stable families. The study prioritizes understanding broader social and cultural influences—specifically peer pressure, community attitudes, and limited reproductive health education—in an effort to design focused, culturally sensitive interventions that are grounded in the multi-determined causality of adolescent pregnancy in rural Philippine contexts.

Introduction: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common hemoglobinopathy worldwide. It is of significant public health importance in Sub-Saharan Africa. The SCD nephropathy is a major contributor to the morbidity and mortality. The Early detection and prevention of Albuminuria is vital for Nephro-prevention; an effective management tool for SCD. Aim: The present study showed albuminuria as a potential biomarker of sickle cell nephropathy and determine its progression and the associate factors for better prevention. Materials and Methods: This was a longitudinal, prospective, descriptive and analytical study conducted at the Cocody University Hospital Center from May 2023 to May 2025, involving children and adult sickle cell disease patients with albuminuria monitoring. Results: 392 sickle cell patients were recruited, 144 patients had albuminuria. The prevalence was 36.7% with a sex ratio of 0.45 and a mean age of 25.96 years. The SSFA2 form was the most representative. Albuminuria was associated with low hemoglobin levels, mostly between 4-6 g/dl. An albuminuria threshold &gt;300 mg/24h at baseline was associated with an increased risk of persistent albuminuria PA. In multivariate analysis, macroalbuminuria was associated with anemia, young adult and higher levels of renal lesions; microalbuminuria was mainly associated with late childhood and adolescence, with rare renal lesions. 25.7% of cases developed (PA), which was associated with macroalbuminuria and poor therapeutic adherence. The decrease in glomerular filtration rate and Chonic Kidney Disease (CKD) in adults was associated with PA, but not with initial albuminuria. All 4 patients recorded deaded presented persistent albuminuria. Conclusion: The risk of eGFR decline and CKD in adults was associated with PA. Albuminuria in sickle cell disease progressed with age, and PA was also positively associated with characteristics and biomarkers of renal lesions.

(1) Background: Self-regulation of attention, emotions, and behavior constitutes a core set of skills essential for positive mental health in adolescence and adulthood. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have shown positive effects on these skills in early developmental stages. Yet it remains unclear whether dispositional mindfulness mediates these effects. This study examined whether dispositional mindfulness mediates the effects of attention and emotion-focused MBIs on attentional, emotional, and behavioral self-regulation. (2) Method: An experimental study was conducted with three conditions: (a) MBI focused on emotion regulation, (b) MBI focused on attentional regulation, and (c) control group. The sample consisted of boys and girls aged 8 to 12 years (n = 70, Mage = 9.60, SD = 1.01), randomly assigned to the three experimental conditions. Group differences in emotional, behavioral, and attentional regulation were analyzed, with mindfulness as a mediating variable. The mediation analysis was conducted using linear regressions and a nonparametric bootstrap technique with 5000 samples. Age and gender were included as control variables in all models. (3) Results: Both programs produced significant improvements in all three dimensions of self-regulation. However, mindfulness showed a mediating effect only on emotional self-regulation, not on attention and was inconclusive on behavioral self-regulation. (4) Conclusions: Mindfulness mediates emotional but not attentional self-regulation. The evidence for the mediating role of mindfulness in behavioral regulation was inconclusive. Incorporating mindfulness in educational settings could strengthen emotional self-regulation skills, thereby promoting mental health; however, further studies are needed.

Despite increasing evidence that discrepancies between parents' and adolescents' perceptions of their relationship contribute to adolescent depression, little is known about how these perceptual gaps evolve across developmental stages of adolescence and how they relate to depression at varying ages. This study addressed that gap by examining how perceptual (in)congruence in parent-adolescent closeness and conflict relates to depressive symptoms across early, middle, and late adolescence. A total of 1893 parent-adolescent dyads participated in this study, including 779 in the early adolescent group (adolescents: Mage = 9.86, SDage = 0.99, 48.8% female; parents: Mage = 38.08, SDage = 5.09, 76.6% mothers), 569 in the middle adolescent group (adolescents: Mage = 12.90, SDage = 0.97, 48.3% female; parents: Mage = 40.73, SDage = 5.22, 70% mothers), and 545 in the late adolescent group (adolescents: Mage = 15.46, SDage = 1.07, 53% female; parents: Mage = 42.66, SDage = 4.48, 69% mothers). Polynomial regression and response surface analyses indicated that adolescents' perceptions, particularly of conflict, were more strongly associated with depressive symptoms than were parents' perceptions. The effects of perceptual (in)congruence also varied by age. In early and middle adolescence, congruently low closeness or high conflict was linked to more severe symptoms, with the highest severity occurring when adolescents perceived the relationship more negatively than parents. In late adolescence, large perceptual gaps, again driven by adolescents' more negative views, were associated with marked increases in depressive symptoms. These findings highlight adolescents' conflict perceptions as the strongest factor related to depressive symptoms and identify late adolescence as the period of greatest vulnerability to perceptual incongruence.

Internalizing and externalizing problems often co-exist throughout an individual's development, shaped by a shared set of early environmental risks. However, most existing studies focused on discrete developmental periods, limiting understanding of how the negative impact of early-life adversity on mental health varies with age. Using data from 7,377 participants across seven waves of the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), the current study investigated the bidirectional associations between internalizing and externalizing problems from ages 5 to 17, as well as the long-term impact of early environmental risks (i.e., prenatal influences, neonatal factors, maternal mental health, harsh parenting, and socioeconomic status) on the two symptom domains across time. Random-intercept cross-lagged panel analyses indicated that individuals with higher internalizing symptoms tended to report higher externalizing symptoms, with both symptom domains showing high stability over time. A significant positive bidirectional relationship between internalizing and externalizing problems was found from childhood to early adolescence. However, this pattern diverged in late adolescence: internalizing problems at age 14 no longer predict externalizing problems at age 17, whereas externalizing problems negatively predict subsequent internalizing symptoms. Early environmental risk factors significantly predicted both internalizing and externalizing problems from ages 5 to 14, with the effects generally decreasing with age, except for an increase at age 11. Gender differences were also observed in both the bidirectional relationships between the symptom domains and the long-term impact of early environmental risks. Findings underscore the enduring impact of early adversity on adolescent mental health and highlight the complex, evolving interaction between internalizing and externalizing problems. The study offers critical insights for early, sustained interventions that address multiple risks and adapt to adolescents' changing mental health needs over time.

For adolescents and young adults (AYA) with any health condition, it is important that they learn to manage their condition and healthcare as they transition into adulthood. For AYA with childhood-onset long-term conditions, this is also fundamental for a successful transition from child- to adult-centred services, as this period is associated with a decline in important health behaviours, such as medication adherence, which in turn are associated with poorer clinical outcomes and increased mortality. Current evidence suggests that, even though AYA are at higher risk for non-adherence than other age groups, existing interventions are less likely to be effective, or may bring about more modest benefits, for AYA compared with younger children and older adults. There is still a need for novel, innovative approaches to medication adherence that can help better meet the unique needs of AYA groups. We suggest that developmentally informed and developmentally tailored approaches may offer a promising avenue to achieve this. The most widely reported AYA adherence issues are deeply intertwined with the different stages of AYA biopsychosocial development and, therefore, AYA development can be understood as a common thread underlying AYA adherence issues. Ensuring that AYA adherence-promoting interventions are relative to an ongoing developmental assessment is crucial, not only to better meet AYA needs as they gradually prepare for their transfer to adult care, but also to continue to do so in the often forgotten third phase of transitional care (i.e. following transfer) well into their late adolescence and young adulthood.

Background: Some studies have suggested that physical fitness and body composition may influence individual and collective performance. However, it is necessary to be able to define the relationships between these variables in soccer players of different ages. Objective: To determine the relation between physical fitness level, body composition, and somatotype in female youth soccer players in response to age. Materials and methods: A total of 56 players were evaluated: 19 early adolescents (EA–U13) with a body mass of 48.35 ± 5.67 kg and a height of 157.63 ± 5.55 cm, 21 middle adolescents (MA–U15) with a body mass of 54.02 ± 5.96 kg and a height of 160.37 ± 5.25 cm and 16 late adolescents (LA–U17) with a body mass of 55.37 ± 6.15 kg and a height of 162.39 ± 5.77 cm. The physical fitness tests were: Squat Jump (SJ), Countermovement Jump (CMJ), Countermovement Jump with Arms (CMJA), Single Leg Countermovement Jump, COD-Timer 5-0-5, COD-Timer 5+5, Speed 15 m, Hamstring Strength, and Running-Based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST). The International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK) protocols were used to determine anthropometric measurements (skinfolds, circumferences, bone diameters), and the Heath-Carter method was used to assess body composition and somatotype, with z-scores calculated using the Phantom strategy. Results: The analysis revealed that the most significant differences between groups were observed in general anthropometric measurements (ω2 = 0.84), followed by sitting height (ω2 = 0.51) and percentage of body fat according to Carter’s method (ω2 = 0.24), all with large and statistically significant effect sizes (p &lt; 0.05). Larger muscle and bone dimensions, especially in the hip, thigh, and calf, are closely related to better strength, power, and initial sprint speed performance in female soccer players. Conclusions: This study reaffirms that muscle mass is a key predictor of athletic performance, along with strength at high speeds, promoting improvements in power and sprinting in the initial meters. Adiposity is a limiting factor for youth soccer players. Age progression and biological maturation favor the development of the mesomorphic profile, optimizing strength and power.

Weekend catch-up sleep and depressive symptoms in late adolescence and young adulthood: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Age- and sex-dependent effects of stressors on activity of the nucleus reuniens of the thalamus.