Transcript W10 Brain Development

The Adolescent Brain
Frontline: Inside the Teenage Brain
• http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sho
ws/teenbrain/
The Brain
• Weighs about 3 pounds
• Brain controls ALL activity
• “The most complicated mass
of matter in the known
universe.”
• Constantly changing and
adapting
• Contains over 10 billion
neurons and another 100
billion support cells.
▫ Eventually forms over 100
trillion connections.
• Neurons are capable of rerouting circuits
Terminology
• Neurons:
▫ Specialized cells that transmit
information to other nerve
cells or muscles.
• Dendrite:
▫ Receives messages from other
neurons
• Synapse:
• Axon:
▫ An electricity conducting
fiber that carries information
away from the cell body.
Source: Sullivan, 2006
▫ Contact point where one
neuron “communicates” with
another neuron.
Source: University of Utah, 2006
Brain Development
• 2 stages:
▫ Growth spurts or overproduction of neurons
▫ Pruning
• Growth spurts are seen at younger ages
• Pruning happens during adolescence
▫ “Use it or lose it”
BRAIN STRUCTURES
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Frontal Lobe
Parietal Lobe
Temporal Lobe
Occipital Lobe
Source: University of Utah, 2006
• Cerebellum
• Corpus Callosum
• Brain Stem
Source: University of Utah, 2006
Frontal Lobe
• Responsible for:
▫ Personality, judgment, reasoning, problem
solving, rational decision making,
▫ Logic and understanding of consequences
▫ Governs impulsivity, aggression,
▫ Organizing thoughts, planning for the future
▫ Undergoes significant changes during adolescence
 Not fully developed until mid-20’s.
Prefrontal Cortex
• Part of the frontal lobe:
▫ Helps with impulse control, judgments, reasoning
▫ One of the last areas of the brain to develop fully.
▫ During this time, there is an increased need for:
 Structure, mentoring, and guidance from adults
Temporal Lobes
• Control hearing, understanding speech, sorting
new information and short-term memory
• Contains:
▫ Amygdala and hippocampus
• Matures around 18-19 years of age.
The Teenage Brain
• Underdevelopment of frontal cortex leads to:
▫ More “gut” reactions than reasoning
 More likely to use amygadala (emotions) than
prefrontal cortex (reasoning) for information
processing.
▫ It takes experience to train the brain.