Adolescent Neurodevelopment Article

Adolescent Neurodevelopment Article

1. Goal of research

   • Most notable changes in the adolescent brain
   • consequences of the brain changes
     • Public policy

2. Most important findings

   • Progressive changes
     • Higher sensation/reward seeking
     • Myalination
       • at potential cost of later plasticity
       • professional musicians
     • peer directed social
     • new neurons
       • increase 4-5 times higher rate than adulthood
   • Regressive changes
     • lower sensitivity to negative consequences
       • 11-15 highest reward receptiveness
       • less "harm avoidant"
     • synaptic pruning
       • about 50% loss
   • higher plasticity than in adulthood
     • Less than in childhood
     • Hormone influence
     • altering trajectories
   • Brain areas
     • Amygdala
       • Emotional override of prefrontal
       • hot cognitions
         • increased reactivity to emotions
     • Prefrontal cortex
       • executive functioning
         • not fully developed
     • Ventral Striatum
       • delayed reward
         • less active
       • immediate reward
         • more active
   • risky behavior often occurs in social situations

3. Limitations

   • task related responses are limited within imaging devices
   • individual differences