Teen Brains: The Plasticity Of The Teenage Brain

The article “Dude, Where’s My Frontal Cortex?” by Robert Sapolsky talks about the delayed maturation of the frontal cortex in teenagers and how the underdeveloped frontal cortex is the cause of erratic behavior of teenagers. Sapolsky explains to the reader how the frontal cortex does not fully develop until the age of twenty for a person and how that part of the brain is important for extensive reasoning, impulse control, and emotional regulation. He shows the reader how particularly emotional situations affect both a teenager and an adult differently due to either having or not having a matured frontal cortex. This example that he uses allows for the reader to see how a teenager responds to situations with extreme thoughts and behavior which

The brain has the function of making their body work and help with the teens brain daily life. The gray matter is where nerves are located. They are affect the way the person acts. The gray matter is where the nerves are located . One nerve is made up of neurons-a nerve cell-The neuron is made up of dendrites, axons and nucleus . The dendrites receive signals from axon terminals and this is a synapses. As a teen grows the brain starts pruning its synapses. With this the brain is taking out instructions the brain can already do or already knows. This is making room for new ideas. The brain secretes many hormones and neurotransmitters. A well known and used neurotransmitter is dopamine. Dopamine gives the brain a faster production time to make decision.

David Dobbs in the Article “Beautiful Brains” proves the theme that it takes teenage brains longer to mature due to the recent change in impulsivity and adolescent behaviors.

The author of the article states that there is no better time than now to review how we are raising teenagers for many reasons. First and foremost there have been many strides taken recently to understand how the adolescent brain develops, strengthening ones understanding, and in turn, shedding light on errors made in the way adolescents are being raised in relation to their neuro-development. This means that because scientists have learned substantial information about the brain recently, it is important to reevaluate how parents are raising teenagers now more than ever. Second, according to the article it is a good time to review how we are raising teenagers because children are becoming adolescents earlier based on their physical maturation increasing faster each year, therefore it is important to examine why this is occurring. Finally, the author states that there is no better time to review how we are raising teenagers because of the recent discovery that the brain is malleable during adolescence due to neuroplasticity, meaning that the brain is able to be transformed during this time period solely based on the environment in which these individuals are exposed to, as per the article (Steinberg, 2014).

After viewing the Frontline program titled Inside the Teenage Brain I learned a significant discovery scientists have found about the teenager's brain. I also learned that just as there is a growth spurt in infants’ brain, there is a second-growth spurt during puberty. In addition, I also learned how teen's emotions are so different from adults' emotions. I was very surprised with everything I learned about the teen's brain, but my point of view about teen violence and juvenile delinquency hasn't changed.

Researchers can look at the brain of a teen to examine their behavioral decisions.Teenage brains these years are more active and dynamic which means it’s still developing.Processing in the Limbic system is a result of risky behavior.The construction of a teenage thinking brain is not cable of fully processing necessary to make responsible decisions.At this stage the brain is still developing.The brain changes depending on interactions, helpimg the teen make changes. At this time the brain will need focused and support for a healthy connection.Surrounding impacts the child faces such as challenging situations is an effective technique.Parents need to consider the teens emotional

The article “Inside the Teen Brain’ by Marty Wolner, states that the human brain provides parents with shocking new evidence to possibly explain the sometimes irrational, illogical, and impulsive behavior of teenagers. Teenage years are radically more active and dynamic than they previously thought. So teenagers are left with most of the information reaching their brains being processed in the emotional part (limbic system). Information processed in the limbic system without benefit increases the processing in the prefrontal cortex. It may result in impulsive, egocentric, and maybe even risky behavior choices. The prefrontal cortex of the teenage brain does not excuse inappropriate or irresponsible behavior from the teen. The brain is not yet

The three most important structural changes in the brain that occur during adolescence takes place in the Corpus Callosum, Prefrontal Cortex, and the Limbic System. The Corpus Callosum is a bundle of axon fibers that connects the left and right hemispheres together. In adolescence, this part of the brain thickens to improve information processing. The Prefrontal Cortex is involved in judgement, decision making, reasoning, and self-control. In adolescents, this part of the brain is beginning to develop and be used more

The teenage brain is still under construction and there are many things that distinguish it from the adult brain. There are physical factors that make the two in comparison so different. Also the behavior and the way teens and adults interact and think, makes their brains vary. In addition, there are some things that contribute either positively or negatively to the development to the teen brain, and it

Adolescence is a critical time of development. During this period there are significant changes in brain development, emotions, cognition, behavior, and personal relationships. It is during this time that most major mental health disorders appear, many of which carry over into adulthood. Behavior patterns such as substance abuse also often develop during this time and may continue throughout adulthood. Many adolescents struggling with mental health issues begin to exhibit symptoms such as acting out at home or in school, showing a decreased interest in activities that they previously enjoyed, or bringing home poor grades. Others ultimately are charged with offenses ranging from status

The article “Inside the Teenage Brain” by Marty Wolner states that recently, brain researchers have been able to do a great quantity of detailed studies on the human brain. Despite previous thoughts about the teenage brain, development of the brain through the teenage years is very dynamic. The teenage brain is still learning how to process certain information properly in the thinking part of the brain, so often teens may not process all the information necessary to make responsible decisions. Nevertheless, the teenage years can be very stressful for both parents and for teens. Getting through the teenage years can be difficult, but with the right amount of healthy communication, discipline and support the road ahead won’t be so rough. At this

Based upon scientific findings, the adolescent brain is constantly growing and changing. The character Romeo, in Shakespeare’s famous play, displays how his adolescent brain is growing and changing. For instance, in the play, it states,”She is too fair, too wise, wisely too fair, to merit bliss by making me more despair.” (1.1. 218-219) This quote reveals that Romeo is deeply in love with Rosaline but as his youthful brain changes he quickly falls in love with Juliet with little knowledge of her. Not to mention, in the article, Are teenage brains really different from adult brains, it conveys, “Teenagers experience a wealth of growth in synapses during adolescence” (Edmonds). This small excerpt informs us that the synapses that help us make reasonable decisions are at an increase. In the same source, another significant

Teenagers are often seen in society as careless and dangerous in the U.S. society. With many articles on adolescence, this thought stays true. Although, in a basic psychology book the author contradicts this thought. The author of a basic psychology book merely states that peers often coincide with parents on encouraging teens to do well. So, what’s the truth? The best way to answer this is to analyze articles that have strong support for their opinion on adolescence. An article by the name of “Why Teen-Agers Are the Worst” by Elizabeth Kolbert explores the possibilities on why teenagers may be dangerous. Kolbert’s thesis is “At moments of extreme exasperation, parents may think that there’s something wrong with their teen-agers’ brains. Which, according to recent books on adolescence,

A number of researchers have suggested over years that teenage brains are not yet fully developed. At the National Institute of Mental Health researchers have studied the human brain ever since the stage of birth all the way to adulthood, to prove that the brain is not complete. When it comes to this topic, Americans assume that if a teenage commits a crime than they should not be held accountable because of their age. Yet they must consider that teens are capable of understanding the situation they are in, how they are looked upon as young adults,, and how they should learn from their mistakes.

The brain also experiences changes in its hormonal environment. It experiences surges from sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone) as well as other hormones (neurotransmitters) such as: dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and vaspressin. The neurotransmitter changes occurring during adolescence are in synchrony with the anatomical changes seen in the prefrontal cortex and other brain regions during this stage, as well as maturation of cognition and behavior and the emerging increased risk for psychopathology (Bava et al. 2010). Also, teens can actually hard-wire their brains. If they focus on sports, music or academics, then the synapses that are formed will put order to their thoughts, understanding of abstract concepts, and keep control of their impulses. By exhibiting such efforts, their susceptibility to high-risk behaviors reduces dramatically. Parents can positively impact the developing brain as well. Adolescents who have close relationships with their parents, even those prone to high risk behaviors, will be less likely to participate in those