Adolescence

Question 1

Describe the body’s adaptive response to starvation.

Answer 1

Adaptive response to starvation:

• Decreased metabolic rate
• Bradycardia
• Hypothermia
• Hypotension
• Decreased cardiac output
• Decreased exercise capacity

Question 2

What is the hallmark feature of refeeding syndrome?

Answer 2

Hypophosphatemia is an early sign of refeeding syndrome.

Question 3

Describe the highlights of brain development in adolescence.

Answer 3

There is an increase in white matter volume, M>F, which reflects an increase in myelination. There is increased gray matter in preadolescence, followed by a decrease. The frontal lobe develops for further development of executive functioning (emotional regulation, planning and organizing, response inhibition). The synthesis of dopamine also increase with age (reward, pleasure, euphoria, motor function, compulsion, preservation). The overall effect is emotion prevailing reason and judgement.