The Teenage Brain… that explains it
Do you often ask your teen, “Got Brains?” The answer is, “Not a complete one yet!” Teenagers may look like they can be rational, intelligent and responsible, but their actual capacity to become responsibly independent is not yet fully developed in their brain while still in the teenage years.
Over the last several years, neuroscientists have discovered some interesting things about the way the brain functions. For years, the brain was considered fully developed in a child around age 5 or 6. However, the latest research has shown that the brain continues to grow significantly during teen and young adult years, primarily in the part of the brain called the “corpus callosum.” The corpus callosum is a set of nerves that connect all the parts of the brain that must work together in order for it to function efficiently. The connections from these wires are crucial for things such as intelligence, consciousness and self-awareness. Another example is in decision making, and that can certainly be a potentially lethal activity for many adolescents!
While this discovery can certainly be considered groundbreaking in brain research, we have come to learn even more. The area of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex goes through a significant growth spurt that coincides with the onset of adolescence. In fact, researchers found that this part of the brain experiences the bulk of its maturation between ages 12-20. The prefrontal cortex is where the most sophisticated of our abilities reside, abilities such as emotional control, impulse restraint, reasoning, judgment and decision making. These abilities come from this prefrontal cortex that your teens are just beginning to develop.
This revealing information should help you to realize that during your child’s teen years you may have to endure some foolish, risky and insensitive behavior because your child’s brain is just not yet fully capable of rational and appropriate thinking. So the next time you’re wondering, “Got Brains?” remember that two things you can do is one, not to over-react when your teen acts inappropriately, and two, to check your expectations to make sure they are realistic.
SOURCES:
The BA Festival of Science, Norwich, England, Sept. 2-9, 2006. News release, University College London.
National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md., together with colleagues at McGill University in Montreal.
Thompson, P.M. (etal). Growth Patterns in the Develoing Human Brain Detected Using Continuum-Mechanical Tensor Mapping. Nature 404 (6774): 190-193.
Do you often ask your teen, “Got Brains?” The answer is, “Not a complete one yet!” Teenagers may look like they can be rational, intelligent and responsible, but their actual capacity to become responsibly independent is not yet fully developed in their brain while still in the teenage years.
Over the last several years, neuroscientists have discovered some interesting things about the way the brain functions. For years, the brain was considered fully developed in a child around age 5 or 6. However, the latest research has shown that the brain continues to grow significantly during teen and young adult years, primarily in the part of the brain called the “corpus callosum.” The corpus callosum is a set of nerves that connect all the parts of the brain that must work together in order for it to function efficiently. The connections from these wires are crucial for things such as intelligence, consciousness and self-awareness. Another example is in decision making, and that can certainly be a potentially lethal activity for many adolescents!
While this discovery can certainly be considered groundbreaking in brain research, we have come to learn even more. The area of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex goes through a significant growth spurt that coincides with the onset of adolescence. In fact, researchers found that this part of the brain experiences the bulk of its maturation between ages 12-20. The prefrontal cortex is where the most sophisticated of our abilities reside, abilities such as emotional control, impulse restraint, reasoning, judgment and decision making. These abilities come from this prefrontal cortex that your teens are just beginning to develop.
This revealing information should help you to realize that during your child’s teen years you may have to endure some foolish, risky and insensitive behavior because your child’s brain is just not yet fully capable of rational and appropriate thinking. So the next time you’re wondering, “Got Brains?” remember that two things you can do is one, not to over-react when your teen acts inappropriately, and two, to check your expectations to make sure they are realistic.
SOURCES:
The BA Festival of Science, Norwich, England, Sept. 2-9, 2006. News release, University College London.
National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md., together with colleagues at McGill University in Montreal.
Thompson, P.M. (etal). Growth Patterns in the Develoing Human Brain Detected Using Continuum-Mechanical Tensor Mapping. Nature 404 (6774): 190-193.
Labels: brain development, teenage brain
posted by Mark Hobbins at
7:56 PM
3 Comments:
This does help to explain a lot of behavior in teens that seems risky and just plain stupid! Thanks Mark for the insight . . . very helpful
By
Anonymous, at 8:32 PM
Yes that's true, but risky behavior needs to be monitored closely no matter what the reason for it is. Don't just excuse it to a lack of brain development.
By
Anonymous, at 8:35 PM
I agree, also don't let it give you an excuse to allow a child to be disrespectful. Boundaries and rules can be understood by even a very young child as long as it is explained the right way. I think this information should be used to realize that we need to be more detailed in our explanations to our children of what we expect from them instead of assuming they "get it." posted rules and consequences sure help!
By
Anonymous, at 8:38 PM
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