Brain Development during adolescence

Question 1

What period of your life is adolescence?

Answer 1

Period of development that begins with the onset of puberty (10-14) and lasts until the beginning of adulthood (18-21) but has been recently increased to 24

Question 2

What occurs during the body in adolescence?

Answer 2

Maturation and activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis due to complex neuroendocrine mechanisms

Question 3

Exposure to what can affect adolescence?

Answer 3

Environmental factors, interaction between genetic variables, mental factors, nutrition and living factors

Question 4

What are the key physical changes during adolescence?

Answer 4

Increase in height and weight, the change in the amount and distribution of fat and muscle tissues and changes in circulation and respiratory system

Question 5

How do the bones grow during this stage?

Answer 5

Adult height is determined when the bone age reaches 15 in girls and 16 in boys and the growth rate is less than 1cm in the last year

Question 6

Which gender has an increase in muscle mass?

Answer 6

Boys due to effect of androgen hormone

Question 7

What organs does rapid growth in puberty affect?

Answer 7

Heart, lungs, kidneys and spleen

Question 8

What does an adolescent adopt when they gradually become an individual?

Answer 8

Adopts social duties, tries to live life on their own, assumes adult levels of responsibility and finds their personality by establishing new relationships

Question 9

Alongside being selfish, what does an adolescent become?

Answer 9

Demand more, complain about rules in the house, finds rights given to them insufficient and wants to be

Question 10

How do family relationships shift in adolescence?

Answer 10

From dependence to independence

Question 11

What happens to the brain during adolescence?

Answer 11

Neurons grow but it si the wiring of connections between cells that undergoes the most significant transformation.

Question 12

How does synaptic pruning occur?

Answer 12

Process of synaptic proliferation is called synaptogenesis and lasts for serval months. This is followed by synaptic elimination. Frequently used connections are strengthened whilst others are eliminated. Reduces the overall synaptic density to adult levels

Question 13

What is myelin?

Answer 13

A laminated membrane structure that surrounds the axon

Question 14

When does myelination occur?

Answer 14

Different stages of development including adolescence, the function of the myelin sheath is to improve the speed of conduction

Question 15

What is there an increase and decrease of during adolescence?

Answer 15

Increase in white matter and a decrease in grey matter in certain brain regions. These changes are most significant and parietal regions

Question 16

What does an increase in white matter in age reflect?

Answer 16

An increase in the myeline sheath surrounding axons in the frontal cortex

Question 17

When is the peak of grey matter said to be found?

Answer 17

At the onset of puberty around 12

Question 18

What does a decrease in grey matter get related to?

Answer 18

Synaptic pruning in adolescence

Question 19

What are the frontal areas of the brain associated with?

Answer 19

Critical thinking and planning continue to develop during teen years to early 20s

Question 20

What is the temporal lobe associated with?

Answer 20

Learning and memory - among the last areas to fully mature

Question 21

What is the period of adolescence characterised by?

Answer 21

Increases in sensation and novelty seeking triggered by the drive for short-term rewards. Can lead to risk taking that contributes to heightened mortality rates

Question 22

What are limitations in cognitive control in adolescent thought to play a critical role in?

Answer 22

The vulnerabilities to adolescent risk taking and the emergence of psychopathology

Question 23

What does cognitive control comprise of?

Answer 23

Inhibitory control, working memory and performance monitoring - it can be modulated by motivational systems