Romeo R D
Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
J Neuroendocrinol. 2003 Dec;15(12):1185-92. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2003.01106.x.
During perinatal development, steroid hormones act on the central nervous system (CNS) to organize neural circuits. These circuits remain relatively dormant until hormonal stimulation received in adulthood acts on the CNS to activate adult reproductive physiology and behaviour. In this review, the proposal is put forward that, in addition to perinatal development, puberty serves as another period of neural maturation mediated by both steroid-dependent and -independent events that further organize and shape the behavioural potential of the adult organism. In support of this thesis, data are summarized that clearly show the organizational effects of the pubertal rise in gonadal hormones on mating behaviour and other steroid-mediated behaviours exhibited in adulthood, and on the neural pathways that mediate these behaviours. The importance of determining whether this sensitive period of neural development during puberty is a 'critical period' is also discussed, as well as whether perturbations of the nervous system during pubertal development may result in negative behavioural and physiological outcomes in adulthood. It is concluded that puberty is not merely a time when increasing levels of gonadal steroids activate the neural circuits organized during perinatal development, but also a time of further organization of the CNS, which allows for appropriate behaviours to emerge in adulthood.
在围产期发育过程中，类固醇激素作用于中枢神经系统（CNS）以构建神经回路。这些回路在成年期受到激素刺激作用于中枢神经系统激活成年生殖生理和行为之前，一直相对处于休眠状态。在本综述中，提出了这样一个观点，即除了围产期发育外，青春期也是由类固醇依赖性和非依赖性事件介导的另一个神经成熟时期，这些事件进一步构建并塑造成年生物体的行为潜能。为支持这一论点，总结了相关数据，这些数据清楚地表明青春期性腺激素升高对成年期表现出的交配行为和其他类固醇介导的行为，以及对介导这些行为的神经通路具有组织作用。还讨论了确定青春期这个神经发育敏感期是否为“关键期”的重要性，以及青春期发育过程中神经系统的扰动是否可能导致成年期出现负面的行为和生理后果。得出的结论是，青春期不仅是性腺类固醇水平升高激活围产期发育期间构建的神经回路的时期，也是中枢神经系统进一步构建的时期，这使得成年期能够出现适当的行为。
