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By Larisa Mihali
We all know the brain is such a complex organ, it is scientifically proven so. Its immensity makes it so there are domains that focus specifically on each function: memory and learning, language, executive functions, complex attention, social cognition, and perceptual and motor functions, which break into more branches.
The teenage years are often seen as a time of emotional turbulence, risky behavior, and dramatic changes. Recent research has revealed that the adolescent brain undergoes significant development, particularly in areas related to decision-making, emotional regulation, and social interactions. This ongoing transformation helps explain many of the behaviors commonly associated with teenagers, from impulsive actions to intense emotional swings. In this article, we will explore the science behind the teenage brain, how it differs from the adult brain.
Although the brain stops growing in size by early adolescence, the teen years are all about fine-tuning how the brain works. The brain finishes developing and maturing in the mid-to-late 20s. The part of the brain behind the forehead, called the prefrontal cortex, is one of the last parts to mature. This area is responsible for skills like planning, prioritizing, and making good decisions.
Changes to the areas of the brain responsible for social processes can lead teens to focus more on peer relationships and social experiences. The emphasis on peer relationships, along with ongoing prefrontal cortex development, might lead teens to take more risks because the social benefits outweigh the possible consequences of a decision. These risks could be negative or dangerous, or they could be positive.
Because the teen brain is still developing, teens may respond to stress differently than adults. This could increase teens’ chances of developing stress-related mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. What can help is recognizing possible triggers and practicing effective coping techniques.
Research shows that the sleep hormone melatonin works differently in teens than in children and adults. In adolescence, melatonin levels stay high later at night and drop later in the morning, which may explain why teens may stay up late and struggle with waking up early. As the field of developmental neuroscience matures, so do too the questions researchers ask. Researchers are also looking closely at how social media use may affect young brains, as concerns mount about teens’ online activity.
“The shift from childhood to adulthood is not a linear one. Adolescence is a time of wonderfully dynamic change in the brain,” said BJ Casey, PhD, a professor of psychology who directs the Fundamentals of the Adolescent Brain Lab at Yale University. “Too often, we’ve superimposed an adult model onto a developing brain, but now we’re starting to see more nuanced findings.”
Adolescence—spanning from puberty until the mid-20s—describes the transitional period between childhood and adulthood, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. During this period, the brain grows and changes in a number of ways. Gray matter in the cerebral cortex tends to thin, while white matter that connects various regions of the brain generally increases in volume.
Beyond that, things get a little more complicated. For example, early research suggested that brain volume increases peaked earlier in adolescent girls (Lenroot, R. K., & Giedd, J. N., Brain and Cognition, Vol. 72, No. 1, 2010). Instead, boys’ brains tend to change at similar rates regardless of variability in other brain metrics.
Instead of merely comparing brain structure or activity between two age groups, researchers are increasingly relying on a variety of experimental approaches that follow the same youth over time.
While this period of growth can lead to challenges, understanding the science behind the adolescent brain can help parents and teens themselves navigate this transformative stage with greater empathy, by recognizing that these changes are natural and necessary.
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