Adolescent Brain Flashcards
Where does asynchronous growth happen?
Between the limbic system and prefrontal cortex
Limbic system is associated with…
Emotions, evolutionarily ancient
Prefrontal cortex is associated with…
Organization, executive functions, reasoning
When does the limbic system develop?
1st wave of plasticity
When does the PFC develop?
Starts during 1st wave but continues until the 2nd one
Lags behind LS
What does this gap cause?
Increases susceptibility to emotionally driven behaviour during teenage yrs
What happens during childhood?
Limbic and subcortical development. Impulsive reactions to emotional cues
What happens during adolescence?
Projections from limbic to PFC. System starts to stabilize, but there’s still a gap
Increased cognitive control, we start to see top-down regulation
What happens during young adulthood?
PFC starts to connect to the cortical system, allowing us to do higher order EFs. top-down emotional reappraisal
What 3 Neurotransmissors Change?
- Seratonin
- Dopamine
- Melatonin
Functions of Seratonin
- Emotional regulation
- Anxiety
- Impulse contorl
- Sleep
- Arousal
Effect on Seratonin
- During adolescence, levels drop
- This leads to increased impulsivity, mood variability and increased anxiety
Functions of Dopamine
- Facilitate reward and motivation
- Movement
- emotional-response regulation
Effect on Dompamine
- Initially rise in reward circuit area, leading to increased risk-taking
- Then drop, which leads to mood swings and lack of emotional regulation
Function of melatonin
- Regulate circadian rhythms and sleep-wake cycles
Effect on melatonin
During adolescence there’s an increased melatonin production, causing a shift in circadian rhythms and increased need for sleep, affecting sleep patterns
