Introduction

Question 1

Define Cognitive neuroscience

Answer 1

An interdisciplinary approach to understanding the nature of thought: Cognitive psychology and systems neuroscience

Question 2

Define adolescence

Answer 2

The transition period between childhood and adulthood, with continuing brain and cognitive development

Question 3

What regressive changes occur in adolescence?

Answer 3

Synaptic pruning and grey matter volume reduction

Question 4

What progressive changes occur in adolescence?

Answer 4

Increased white matter volume and myelination

Question 5

Which areas of the brain did Petanjek et al. (2011) find synaptic pruning in?

Answer 5

The Prefrontal Cortex: Basal, proximal oblique and distal oblique.
BUT lacking direct evidence of pruning: inferred from number of synapses and age.

Question 6

What does synaptic pruning allow brain to do?

Answer 6

Become more fine-tuned to environment.

Question 7

What effect does myelination have?

Answer 7

Long-range signalling should become faster.

Question 8

What were Giedd et al.’s (1999) findings?

Answer 8

• Total brain volume does not change, but within regions it does.
• Higher volume of White Matter = higher myelination.
• Early adolescent peak in frontal and parietal lobe volumes.
• Late adolescent peak in temporal.

Question 9

What area did Tamnes et al. (2013) study?

Answer 9

Subcortical regions.
Used MRI scans across 2 years to show that caudate, putamen and nucleus accumbens decrease in volume, amygdala and hippocampus little or no change, pallidum and thalamus slightly decrease in volume.

Question 10

What did Mills and Tames (2014) show in their DTI study?

Answer 10

Higher FA and lower MD in white matter regions during adolescence: increased structural integrity.
Frontotemporal tracts develop slowly, move towards front of brain in later development.