Distinct attention network topology and dynamics and their relations with pubertal hormones in preadolescent boys and girls with binge eating

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Levi

Binge eating disorder shows rising risk from late childhood to early adolescence, with puberty-linked gonadal hormone surges and a higher increase in girls than boys. This translational study analyzes sustained attention network topology and temporal dynamics in preadolescent children with binge eating symptoms versus matched controls, using data from 77 children with BE and 104 controls. Static nodal measures distinguish BE groups, and left caudate topology relates to pubertal hormone levels in girls only. Substage-specific variability reveals group and sex-specific differences, suggesting hormone-network organization contributes to the higher prevalence of BE in girls while boys may involve alternative dynamic mechanisms.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Puberty-linked binge eating risk and sex differences

Brain network alterations in binge eating disorder

Pubertal hormones, arousal, and attention networks

Study Rationale and Aims

Systems-level topology and temporal dynamics in children

Linking network properties to pubertal hormone levels

Translational [Psychiatry](Psychiatry www.nature.com/tp)[ www.nature.com/tp](Psychiatry www.nature.com/tp) ARTICLE OPEN Distinct attention network topology and dynamics and their relations with pubertal hormones in preadolescent boys and girls with binge eating Elizabeth Martin1, Kurt P. Schulz2, Tom Hildebrandt2, Robyn Sysko2, Laura A. Berner 2 and Xiaobo Li 1 ✉ © The Author(s) 2025 | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | | The increased prevalence of binge eating during puberty is predominantly in girls, coinciding with a surge in pubertal hormones. This suggests that hormone-activated alterations in widespread brain networks, such as attention network, can contribute to the pathophysiology of the disorder in girls, while distinct mechanisms may exist in boys. This study proposed to examine the topological properties and their temporal dynamics of the sustained attention network in preadolescent children with binge eating symptoms (BE) and matched controls and to test the relation of these properties to circulating levels of pubertal hormones. Data from 77 children with BE and 104 group-matched controls were analyzed. In a static network comprising the entire task duration, the nodal topological properties, i.e., nodal efﬁciency, betweenness-centrality and degree, of the caudate nucleus, hippocampus and inferior parietal gyrus (IPG) signiﬁcantly differentiated children with and without BE; and that of left caudate were signiﬁcantly associated with pubertal hormone levels in girls with and without BE, but not in boys. During different substages of sustained attention processing, Variability of the topological properties in key network nodes, such as bilateral IPG, bilateral precentral gyrus and left hippocampus, demonstrated signiﬁcant between-group differences and/or unique group-by-sex interactions. These results suggest that the association between pubertal hormones and network topological organization may contribute towards the speciﬁc rise of BE in girls, while neural mechanisms of BE in boys may alternatively link to suboptimal functional dynamics associated with precentral gyrus, during their interactions with other cortical and subcortical regions when sustained attention is | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | performed. | | | | | Translational Psychiatry (2026)16:5; [https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03756-y](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03756-y) | | | | | | INTRODUCTION Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder, affecting 1.1% of children and between 1 and 5% of adolescents [1, 2]. The risk for problematic binge eating (BE) increases from late childhood to early adolescence [1, 2], coincident with the pubertal surge of gonadal hormones [3] and may serve as a vulnerability for eating disorders in later life [4, 5] . However, the elevated risk is not spread uniformly, with a signiﬁcantly greater increase in prevalence of BE during puberty in girls than boys [6] . This suggests that different neural developmental effects and pubertal hormones, as well as their distinct interactions, may be implicated in the pathophysiology of BE in boys and girls. Widespread neural alterations have been identiﬁed in individuals with BE [7] . These include distinct patterns of dysconnectivity among distant brain regions or systems-level alterations of the functional brain networks subserving cognitive processes and/or at resting-state [8–11] . Several cognitive processes believed to be involved in BE, including attention, are supported by these widespread brain pathways and rely heavily on the maintenance of arousal [12–14] . Generalized brain arousal, which increases the excitation and activation of attention and behavior, may be implicated in these functional alterations [15] . The link between the pubertal hormone surge and generalized arousal has been established

FAQs

How does puberty relate to binge eating risk in boys and girls?

The study background states that binge eating risk increases from late childhood to early adolescence and rises more during puberty in girls than boys. Pubertal gonadal hormone surges are used to explain this sex-specific vulnerability.

What brain network is investigated in children with binge eating symptoms?

The focus is the sustained attention network, assessed through topological properties and their temporal dynamics. The analysis examines nodal measures within key network nodes.

What findings connect pubertal hormones to attention network topology?

In girls, left caudate nodal topological properties are significantly associated with circulating pubertal hormone levels, while this association is not observed in boys. Substage analyses also show group-by-sex interactions in variability of key nodal properties.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Levi