1. The Adolescent Brain

2. Frontline: Inside the Teenage Brain
ws/teenbrain/

3. The Brain Weighs about 3 pounds
“The most complicated mass of matter in the known universe.”
Contains over 10 billion neurons and another 100 billion support cells.
Eventually forms over 100 trillion connections.
Brain controls ALL activity
Constantly changing and adapting
Neurons are capable of re- routing circuits

4. Terminology Neurons: Axon: Dendrite: Synapse:
Specialized cells that transmit information to other nerve cells or muscles.
Axon:
An electricity conducting fiber that carries information away from the cell body.
Dendrite:
Receives messages from other neurons
Synapse:
Contact point where one neuron “communicates” with another neuron.
Source: Sullivan, 2006

5. Source: University of Utah, 2006

6. Brain Development 2 stages: Growth spurts are seen at younger ages
Growth spurts or overproduction of neurons
Pruning
Growth spurts are seen at younger ages
Pruning happens during adolescence
“Use it or lose it”

7. BRAIN STRUCTURES Frontal Lobe Parietal Lobe Temporal Lobe
Occipital Lobe
Cerebellum
Corpus Callosum
Brain Stem
Source: University of Utah, 2006

8. Source: University of Utah, 2006

9. Frontal Lobe Responsible for:
Personality, judgment, reasoning, problem solving, rational decision making,
Logic and understanding of consequences
Governs impulsivity, aggression,
Organizing thoughts, planning for the future
Undergoes significant changes during adolescence
Not fully developed until mid-20’s.

10. Prefrontal Cortex Part of the frontal lobe:
Helps with impulse control, judgments, reasoning
One of the last areas of the brain to develop fully.
During this time, there is an increased need for:
Structure, mentoring, and guidance from adults

11. Temporal Lobes
Control hearing, understanding speech, sorting new information and short-term memory
Contains:
Amygdala and hippocampus
Matures around years of age.

12. The Teenage Brain Underdevelopment of frontal cortex leads to:
More “gut” reactions than reasoning
More likely to use amygadala (emotions) than prefrontal cortex (reasoning) for information processing.
It takes experience to train the brain.