Recent evidence supports the contribution of pubertal stage to local and global grey and white matter remodelling. Using fixel-based analyses, we show that pubertal children have greater apparent fibre density in the splenium of the corpus callosum compared with age-matched pre-pubertal children. This finding suggests that pubertal onset itself, rather than chronological age, drives the remodelling of white matter microstructure – which is an important consideration for assessing biological age. This is particularly important for studying paediatric and adolescent populations, as pubertal stage may be an important factor to consider in addition to chronological age.
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