Changes in cerebral blood flow start with puberty and vary with males and females, according to Penn Medicine researchers. The researchers note that the results may offer insight into developing differences in behavior among men and women, and sex-specific predispositions to some psychiatric disorders.

The research findings appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS).

Theodore D. Satterthwaite, MD, MA, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, said in a statement, “These findings help us understand normal neurodevelopment and could be a step towards creating normal ‘growth charts’ for brain development in kids. These results also show what every parent knows: boys and girls grow differently. This applies to the brain as well.” He continued, “Hopefully, one day such growth charts might allow us to identify abnormal brain development much earlier before it leads to major mental illness.”

Puberty is the defining process of adolescent development, leading to changes within the body and the brain. According to familydoctor.org, puberty usually begins in females around 11 years of age, while the process begins in males around 12 years of age. Puberty is an ongoing process that lasts for several years.