Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
FrancoAngeli Journals

Articles

Online First

The Pubertal Crisis Between Metamorphosis and Identity, Between Dependence and Independence

  • Federica Lavista
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/pnei2026oa23947
Submitted
ottobre 9, 2026
Published
2026-10-16

Abstract

The pubertal crisis constitutes a critical developmental stage in which neurobio-logical transformations, new hormonal configurations, and unprecedented relational experiences intertwine, shaping the conditions for a progressive redefinition of identity. From a neurobiologi-cal standpoint, selective synaptic pruning and progressive myelination reshape the reward circuits – the mesocorticolimbic system with the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA) – influencing motivation, emotional regulation, and behavior. The reduction in baseline dopaminergic tone generates a mesolimbic-prefrontal asymmetry that is adaptive but that also exposes, among other things, to massive vulnerability to addiction. The endocanna-binoid system, a key mediator of pleasure regulation and synaptic plasticity, takes on particular relevance in adolescence. Early Life Stress experiences interfere with the maturation of these sys-tems, predisposing to lasting alterations. Alongside the neurobiological dimension, the pubertal crisis must be read as a complex relational process: the peer group takes on a rewarding function comparable to biologically salient stimuli. An interdisciplinary reading offers tools to guide prevention, care, and educational support.

References

  1. Baram, T. Z., Davis, E. P., Obenaus, A., Sandman, C. A., & Small, S. L. (2012). Fragmentation and un-predictability of early-life experience in mental disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 169(9), 907–915. Doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.11091347
  2. Barendse, M. E. A., et al. (2024). Sex and pubertal variation in reward-related behavior and neural acti-vation in early adolescents. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 66, 101358. Doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101358
  3. Calipari, E. S., et al. (2017). Dopaminergic dynamics underlying sex-specific cocaine reward. Nature Communications, 8, 13877. Doi: 10.1038/ncomms13877
  4. Eban-Rothschild, A., et al. (2016). VTA dopaminergic neurons regulate ethologically relevant sleep-wake behaviors. Nature Neuroscience, 19(10), 1356–1366. Doi: 10.1038/nn.4377
  5. Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
  6. Fagiolini, M., & Hensch, T. K. (2000). Inhibitory threshold for critical-period activation in primary vis-ual cortex. Nature, 404, 183–186. Doi: 10.1038/35004525
  7. Frankl, V. E. (1963). Man’s search for meaning. Boston: Beacon Press.
  8. Gunnar, M. R., & Quevedo, K. (2007). The neurobiology of stress and development. Annual Review of Psychology, 58, 145–173. Doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.58.110405.085605
  9. Hanson, J. L., Knodt, A. R., Brigidi, B. D., & Hariri, A. R. (2017). Heightened connectivity between the ventral striatum and medial prefrontal cortex as a biomarker for stress-related psychopathology. Psychological Medicine, 47(16), 2835–2845. Doi: 10.1017/S0033291717003348
  10. McClung, C. A., et al. (2005). Regulation of dopaminergic transmission and cocaine reward by the Clock gene. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 102(26), 9377–9381. Doi: 10.1073/pnas.0503584102
  11. McNeilly, E. A., et al. (2022). Reward sensitivity and internalizing symptoms during the transition to puberty. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 58, 101172. Doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101172
  12. Nakazawa, D. J. (2015). Childhood disrupted: How your biography becomes your biology. New York: Atria Books.
  13. Nair-Roberts, R. G., et al. (2008). Stereological estimates of dopaminergic, GABAergic and glutama-tergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area. Neuroscience, 152(4), 1024–1031. Doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.01.046
  14. Pacher, P., Batkai, S., & Kunos, G. (2006). The endocannabinoid system as an emerging target of phar-macotherapy. Pharmacological Reviews, 58(3), 389–462. Doi: 10.1124/pr.58.3.2
  15. Peña, C. J., Nestler, E. J., & Bagot, R. C. (2019). Environmental programming of susceptibility and resil-ience to stress in adulthood in male mice. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 13, 40. Doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00040
  16. Pietropolli Charmet, G. (2008). Fragile e spavaldo. Ritratto dell’adolescente di oggi. Roma-Bari: Laterza.
  17. Siegel, D. J. (2001). Toward an interpersonal neurobiology of the developing mind. Infant Mental Health Jour-nal, 22(1–2), 67–94. Doi: 10.1002/1097-0355(200101/04)22:1%3C67::AID-IMHJ3%3E3.0.CO;2-G
  18. Tan, K. R., et al. (2012). GABA neurons of the VTA drive conditioned place aversion. Neuron, 73(6), 1173–1183. Doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.02.015
  19. Taylor, S. E., et al. (2000). Biobehavioral responses to stress in females: Tend-and-befriend, not fight-or-flight. Psychological Review, 107(3), 411–429. Doi: 10.1037/0033-295X.107.3.411
  20. Winnicott, D. W. (1965). The maturational processes and the facilitating environment. London: Hogarth Press.
  21. Zucker, K. J. (2017). Epidemiology of gender dysphoria and transgender identity. Sexual Health, 14(5), 404–411. Doi: 10.1071/SH17067