Adolescent Brain Development During Puberty

Prefrontal Cortex Growth

• Research conducted by Dr. Jay Giedd at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md. revealed that the prefrontal cortex -- the area of the brain responsible for regulating mood, working memory, impulse control, organization and planning -- undergoes rapid growth just before puberty. The brain overproduces neurons and synapses. Synapses connect the brain cells, called neurons, to form a network of pathways in the brain. While your child may show signs of increased ability to problem-solve and organize in some areas, he may lack impulse control. Because the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed, teens may realize that something is dangerous, such as driving the car at high speeds, but lack the impulse control to resist the urge to do it, states the U.S. Department of Health and Welfare. As a parent, you may be frustrated because you know your teen knows better when he participates in risky behavior, while his actions are related to his still immature prefrontal cortex.

Synaptic Pruning

• After the rapid growth of neurons and synapses, the brain then begins the work of pruning synapses to remove connections that are no longer needed or used, to make room for consolidation of vital connections. As synapses are pruned, the brain forms a protective sheath, myelin, around the dendrites that carry the message from one cell to another to stabilize them. In this process, skills your teen once mastered but that are no longer active may be pruned away, leaving you wondering why your child cannot remember information she learned when she was younger. She may declare that she has never been taught fractions in math and therefore cannot complete her homework. Keep in mind that she isn't pretending she doesn't remember how to do fractions to get out of her homework. She may really believe she's never been taught fractions because she does not have the connections necessary to recall that fact. Synaptic pruning continues from shortly after puberty to well into the 20s, while the brain continues to develop and refine pathways to new skills and new information says Wendy Zukerman and Andrew Purcell, science writers for New Scientist Health.

Reinforcing Connections

• According to Giedd, what teens focus on during this period will be reinforced, making it vital that academic and personal pursuits are those that the young teen, and parent, want reinforced. Although they may find it difficult to recall unused or unneeded skills from childhood, such as the mysterious case of never having learned fractions or ever having been told fairy tales, they are forming new connections that will allow them to process information faster and more efficiently while acquiring new skills. Exposing pubescent children and adolescents to challenging academic pursuits and holding them to high expectations during leisure time reinforces these new skills. Clara Moskowitz, senior science writer for Live Science, says that the brain reinforces the most frequently used pathways and prunes away little used passages. For this reason, it is vital that teens are encouraged to engage in healthy activities and pursue challenging interests. Sitting on the couch playing video games is not the new skills most parents want to promote.

Corpus Callosum

• The corpus callosum, a fiber system that connects the brain's two hemispheres and serves to transport messages from one side to the other, also undergoes growth as children progresses through puberty. This development is significant because it paves the way for more efficient processing of information and abstract thought. This rapid growth of the corpus callosum also creates a new window of opportunity for rapid language learning similar to that experienced in early childhood.

Cerebellum

• The cerebellum, the part of the brain located at the back of the head that is thought of as the center for motor control, also continues to grow in puberty and throughout the teen years. The cerebellum is also instrumental in higher thought processes such as mathematical reasoning, philosophy, decision- making and social skills. It's growth at this time accounts for teens increased ability to reason, make decisions and plays a part in their growing tendency to question the beliefs and motives of other. Geidd compares the cerebellum to a math co-processor that is not vital to functioning, but makes they system run smoothly.