Blame my brain!
In the next two articles, I want to focus on brain development, especially in teenagers, and in my second article, how parents can best support teens.
The brain is the most complex bit of machinery known to humanity and its development is no less extraordinary, from its time in the womb, to birth, the early years and late childhood. In terms of size it is more or less complete by around 8-10. However, during adolescence, the brain undergoes significant changes that can impact a teenager’s emotions, behaviors, and decision-making abilities. The traditional trope is to blame the ‘hormones’ but that is just a fraction of the story! The brain is preparing the adolescent for an independent life away from the security of family.
During adolescence, the brain undergoes a process called synaptic pruning, in which unused neural connections are eliminated to make the brain more efficient, a kind of ‘use it or lose it’ approach. Alongside this is a process called myelination. Myelin is a fatty substance that coats axons and helps them transmit signals more efficiently. Both these processes can improve cognitive function and increase the speed of neural processing.
The prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and planning, is still developing during adolescence. This can make it difficult for teenagers to make good decisions and control their impulses. This executive functioning portion of the brain doesn’t fully develop until around 25, and in some males much later!
It is true that during adolescence, the body undergoes significant hormonal changes, which can impact brain development. For example, the release of sex hormones, estrogen and testosterone can influence areas associated with risk taking and can impact the development of the prefrontal cortex and limbic system.
As teenagers explore their identity and seek new experiences, they may engage in risk-taking behavior. This is because the brain’s reward and dopamine systems, which are associated with pleasure and motivation, are more active during adolescence. This can make teenagers more likely to engage in risky and thrill seeking behaviors, such as drug use, alcohol consumption, and unsafe sexual activity.
Social connections are crucial to brain development during adolescence. As teenagers seek to establish their identity and form new relationships, the brain undergoes significant changes in response to social interactions. Peer approval and friendships become more important than the family group and this change can be quite hard to understand and/or accept.
Finally, during adolescence, you will notice changes in the circadian rhythm which can make it more difficult for teenagers to get enough sleep. This can impact brain development and cognitive function. Some school systems are experimenting with later start times for teens to maximise their attention and focus. To date, it has not been adopted wholesale by many schools.
Overall, adolescence is a time of significant brain development and change. Understanding these changes can help us provide support and guidance to teenagers as they navigate this important period of growth and development.
