Pubertal timing is a critical dimension of adolescent brain vulnerability

Early-maturing adolescents show a persistent reduction in resting-state EEG brain hierarchy irreversibility, and decelerated adolescents show the strongest post–COVID-19 disruption in that hierarchy.

• Why it matters: Pubertal timing varies widely during adolescence and may shape who is vulnerable to adverse experiences, but objective, brain-based vulnerability markers tied to maturity timing are limited.
• What they did: Using ultrasonic bone age to classify pubertal maturity relative to chronological age (accelerated, average, decelerated), the study quantified brain hierarchy as the irreversibility of resting-state electroencephalography signals and tracked pandemic-related deviations.
• The result: Maturity-defined trajectories revealed two vulnerability forms: persistent hierarchy reduction in early maturers and the largest pandemic-linked hierarchy disruption in decelerated adolescents, supporting maturity-tailored identification and support.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.