Neurodevelopment
Adolescents have significant growth physically, emotionally, and neurologically. Intense feelings and emotional displays are blamed on hormones, but research shows that changes in the brain play a crucial role. In fact, brain development is not complete until the mid-twenties. The following information about brain maturation can help to understand a teen’s behavior.
Areas of the Brain
3 cups
Blueberries
Prefrontal Cortex
1½ cups
Butter
Amygdala
Hypothalamus
Hippocampus
Thalamus
Corpus Callosum
Cingulate Gyrus
Prefrontal Cortex
Controls decision making, planning, prioritizing, and impulse control. It is the last area in the brain to develop. This lag is thought to be responsible for the poor decision making and risk taking in adolescence.
Limbic System
Regulates emotions, survival instincts, and memory. Continued development of this region helps to regulate our responses to our environment. Some of the structures it consists of are the amygdala, thalamus, and hypothalamus.
Amygdala
Responsible for emotional reactivity and perceptions of feelings such as anger, fear and sadness. It helps to form memories, relating them to emotions which can assist in navigating future situations.
Thalamus
Regulates our circadian rhythm to help us sleep, helps in processing our senses and assists in learning and memory.
Hypothalamus
Plays integral role in the releasing of hormones and initiation of puberty. One of the structures that is part of the stress response system, which is heightened during adolescence.
Hippocampus
Important to the development of learning and memory. It helps with attention, perception, and social cues.
(Armstrong, 2016; Fama & Sullivan, 2015; Hartley & Somerville, 2015; Haloupek, 2020; Lynch et al., 2019)
Brain Pathways
The adolescent brain develops by creating new pathways and making stronger connections to make it more efficient. These adaptations occur to achieve optimal functioning in given environment.
ABOUT
Neuroplasticity
The ability to change in response to the demands of the environment, allowing for the brain to continue to grow with new experiences. Adolescence is a heightened period for plasticity, allowing the brain to become more specialized.
(Geidd, 2012)
ABOUT
Pruning
Pathways that are not needed are pruned, making our brains more efficient. Adolescence is a period of experience-dependent pruning, learning from our choices and dealing with positive and negative consequences.
(Hartley & Somerville, 2015)
Cognitions
Refers to our thinking and how we process our environment. The context in which adolescents make decisions impacts their reaction, especially in the presence of peers.
Hot
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Situations where emotions are involved
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Peers or other significant individuals are present
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Teens make riskier decisions regardless of negative consequences in these situations
Cold
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Situations that involve making routine decisions where there are no emotions, social interactions, or pressure
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Limited risk in the decision