Adolescent Dev W05 Study

Melatonin levels

: take longer to rise in adolescents than children or adults regardless of sun or activities.

Nucleus accumbens

: region in the frontal cortex that directs motivation to seek rewards.

Melatonin levels

: take longer to rise in adolescents than children or adults regardless of sun or activities.

Nucleus accumbens

: region in the frontal cortex that directs motivation to seek rewards.

Cerebellum

: area that coordinates both physical and mental activities & is particularly responsive to experience.

FMRI

: shows brain activity while subjects are doing assigned tasks.

ADHD

and Tourette's syndrome: typically appear by age 7; rapid growth of brain tissue may set the stage for the increase in motor activities and tics, symptoms recede as pruning begins.

median onset

Emerging adult age: The for anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

Androgens

and estrogens: Released as pruning begins; directly influence serotonin and other mood- regulating neurochemicals, especially active in the limbic system.

Overproduction

or Exuberance: considerable thickening of synaptic connections occurs during prenatal development through first 18 months of life, again around ages 10- 12 peaking there.

Gray matter

is thinned out at a rate of about 0.7 % a year, tapering off in the early 20s.

Social influences

: Teens have higher likelihood of risk behavior when in groups or emotionally charged situations, not after age 20.

Myelination

: creation of myelin sheaths.

Schizophrenia

: appears about the time the prefrontal cortex is getting pruned; typical cortical gray matter loss is 15 % during adolescence, but 25 % sometimes in cases.

Limbic system

: emotional center of the brain.

Frontal lobes

: involved in most of the higher functions of the brain: planning ahead, solving problems, making moral judgments.

Prefrontal cortex

: home of the so- called executive functions- planning, setting priorities, organizing thoughts, suppressing impulses, weighing the consequences of one's actions.

Rapid neural growth

occurs: between the ages of 6 and 12.

Motivation deficit

: comes with propensity to engage in high excitement and or low effort behaviors, emphasis immediate payoff for best results.

teen vulnerability

Abundance in dopamine- rich areas of the brain: an additional factor in to substance abuse.

Myelin

: a blanket of fat wrapped around the main part of the neuron, serves the function of keeping the brains electrical signals on one path and increasing their speed, continues through adolescence.

Maximum brain cell density

: occurs between the third and sixth month of gestation.

Amygdala

: a structure in the temporal lobes associated with emotional and gut reactions.

Rapid synaptic pruning

of the gray matter during emerging adulthood: implicated in the development of schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression.

Brain areas

that mature second: areas that coordinate vision, hearing & touch.

Peak of neural growth

: when girls are about 11 and boys 12 ½.

Cerebellum

: part of the lower brain, important for mathematics, music, decision making, and even social skills and understanding humor.

Overproduction

: occurs in many parts of gray matter, but concentrated in frontal lobes.

Gray matter

: is composed of brain cells decreases through 20s and 30s.

By age 6

the brain is 90% to 95% of its adult size

maximum brain-cell density

occurs between the third and sixth month of gestation

Rapid neural growth occurs

between the ages of 6 and 12

Peak of neural growth

when girls are about 11 and boys 12 ½

Cerebellum

 area that coordinates both physical and mental activities & is particularly responsive to experience

Regions that reach maturation first

vision, hearing, touch and spatial processing

Brain areas that mature second

areas that coordinate vision, hearing & touch

Last part of brain to form

Prefrontal cortex

Androgens and estrogens

Released as pruning begins; directly influence serotonin and other mood-regulating neurochemicals, especially active in the limbic system

Limbic system

emotional center of the brain

MRI

reveals brain structure

FMRI

shows brain activity while subjects are doing assigned tasks

Amygdala

a structure in the temporal lobes associated with emotional and gut reactions

Social influences

Teens have higher likelihood of risk behavior when in groups or emotionally charged situations, not after age 20

Abundance in dopamine-rich areas of the brain

an additional factor in teen vulnerability to substance abuse

nucleus accumbens

region in the frontal cortex that directs motivation to seek rewards

Motivation deficit

comes with propensity to engage in high excitement and or low effort behaviors, emphasis immediate payoff for best results

Melatonin levels

take longer to rise in adolescents than children or adults regardless of sun or activities

Schizophrenia

appears about the time the prefrontal cortex is getting pruned; typical cortical gray matter loss is 15% during adolescence, but 25% sometimes in schizophrenia cases

Emerging adult age

The median onset for anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia

How to help teens

providing structure, organizing their time, guiding them through tough decisions

Overproduction or Exuberance

considerable thickening of synaptic connections occurs during prenatal development through first 18 months of life, again around ages 10-12 peaking there

Between the ages of 12 and 20

the average brain loses 7% to 10% of its gray matter

synaptic pruning is especially rapid

among adolescents with high intelligence

Myelin

a blanket of fat wrapped around the main part of the neuron, serves the function of keeping the brains electrical signals on one path and increasing their speed, continues through adolescence

Cerebellum

 part of the lower brain, important for mathematics, music, decision making, and even social skills and understanding humor

the last structure of the brain to stop growing

Cerebellum

How brain structure changes in emerging adulthood

continued myelination, synaptic pruning, and the formation of new connections

gray matter

is composed of brain cells decreases through 20s and 30s

white matter

consists of myelinated axons and other connections between brain cells, increases through pruning until 40 when it declines rapidly

rapid synaptic pruning of the gray matter during emerging adulthood

implicated in the development of schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression