Summary: Testosterone’s influence on brain mechanisms that control emotion changes across development. Higher testosterone enhances anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC) involvement in emotion control during adolescence, but by young adulthood that relationship reverses.
A longitudinal brain imaging study tracked the same individuals through middle adolescence, late adolescence, and into young adulthood to map how testosterone interacts with prefrontal emotion regulation circuits over time. The researchers found a clear developmental shift: the positive association between testosterone levels and aPFC engagement declines between ages 14 and 17 and reverses by age 20, when higher testosterone is linked with reduced aPFC activity. At the same time, testosterone-related modulation of amygdala reactivity increased, suggesting a reconfiguration of the prefrontal–amygdala circuitry that supports emotion control.
Study details: 71 participants were assessed at three time points (ages 14, 17, and 20). Each participant completed an fMRI-adapted approach–avoidance (AA) task designed to probe automatic and controlled responses to social emotional stimuli, while concurrent hormone measurements allowed the team to relate circulating testosterone levels to brain activity. The prospective, within-subject design enabled the investigators to track how the same individuals’ neuroendocrine relationships changed with age rather than comparing separate age groups.
Key findings from the imaging data show that during adolescence higher testosterone corresponds to greater engagement of the anterior prefrontal cortex when exerting control over social emotional actions. This pattern aligns with theories and animal evidence that during puberty testosterone plays an important role in neurodevelopmental processes. However, by young adulthood the association flips: testosterone no longer functions primarily as a pubertal developmental signal but instead assumes an activating role that appears to reduce aPFC-mediated emotion control. Parallel increases in testosterone-linked amygdala responsiveness were also observed, indicating that the balance between prefrontal regulation and subcortical emotional reactivity is altered across this transition.
Why this matters: The developmental shift in testosterone’s role has implications for understanding behavioral and emotional changes across adolescence and early adulthood. Many mood and anxiety disorders emerge during adolescence, a period of dynamic brain maturation and hormonal change. These findings suggest that evolving interactions between testosterone and the prefrontal–amygdala circuitry could contribute to vulnerability or resilience in emotional regulation during this critical window. The results also caution against simplistic views of testosterone as solely linked to aggression or dominance; instead, its effects depend strongly on developmental context.
The authors note that environmental factors such as stress may shape how hormones interact with brain development, and that further research is needed to determine whether the observed neuroendocrine changes are directly involved in the onset of mood disorders. By clarifying when and how testosterone influences neural circuits for emotion control, future work could inform prevention and intervention strategies focused on adolescent mental health.
Key Facts:
- The relationship between testosterone and emotion control shifts across development, from adolescence into young adulthood.
- During adolescence, higher testosterone is associated with increased engagement of the anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC) during emotion regulation; by age 20 this association reverses.
- These developmental changes are accompanied by increased testosterone-related modulation of amygdala reactivity, reflecting reorganization of prefrontal–amygdala circuitry.
- Understanding this shift can help explain the timing of mood disorder onset and guide research on developmental risk and resilience factors.
About this neurodevelopment and emotion research news
Author: Sara Henning-Stout
Source: Wiley
Contact: Sara Henning-Stout – Wiley
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access. “Developmental shift in testosterone influence on prefrontal emotion control” by Anna Tyborowska et al., published in Developmental Science.
Abstract (condensed)
Developmental shift in testosterone influence on prefrontal emotion control
A paradoxical change in how testosterone relates to social emotional approach–avoidance behavior is evident when comparing adolescents and adults. In adolescence, higher testosterone correlates with increased anterior prefrontal cortex involvement in emotion control; in adulthood, this association reverses. Animal studies indicate that during puberty testosterone transitions from supporting neurodevelopment to acting as a social-sexual activator. Using a longitudinal design, this human study examined testosterone’s role in neural control of social emotional behavior from middle adolescence through young adulthood. Seventy-one individuals were tested at ages 14, 17, and 20 while performing an fMRI-adapted approach–avoidance task. Results show a decrease in testosterone’s positive effect on aPFC engagement between middle and late adolescence and a shift by young adulthood, where testosterone appears to impede neural emotion control, accompanied by stronger testosterone-related amygdala reactivity. These findings clarify how testosterone-dependent maturation of the prefrontal–amygdala circuit supports the development of emotion regulation across this critical transition.