Decision-making requires two different brain areas that mature at different times during the teenage years. This may help parents understand why their teens are more prone to making risky decisions.
At age 13, teenagers no longer find their mother's voice uniquely rewarding, and tune into unfamiliar voices more. A new study reveals the neurobiology behind why teens begin to separate from their parents at this point of development and how it shapes them to become more socially adept outside a family setting.
Teens are more likely to ignore advice than younger children, but only when the advice offered is bad. This is because teens are better at judging their own decisions, researchers say. The findings reveal the development of metacognition may be a key driver of developing independence during teenage years.
White matter tracts show increasing maturation with age from the back to the front of the brain. The maturations begin as a child reaches 9-12 years of age. The maturity correlates with a critical and formative period of development.
Hair samples from teens could help detect their risk of mental health problems. Researchers found teens with higher cortisol levels in hair samples were more likely to experience depression. Low cortisol levels were also linked to an increased risk of mental health issues.
The popular Netflix show "13 Reasons Why" has been linked to an increase in suicides in females between the ages of 10 and 19. Researchers said the numbers grew significantly within 3 months of the show's release.
Neuroimaging reveals lower activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and angular gyrus in teenage girls with conduct disorder. Findings suggest that a reduction in prefrontal brain regions and functional connectivity during effortful emotional regulations contribute to behaviors associated with antisocial behavior in teenage girls.
Teens who exercise get to sleep earlier, sleep for longer and have improved quality of sleep over those who are less active.
Contrary to previous findings, a new study reports little evidence for a substantial negative link between screen time use before sleep and adolescent wellbeing.
Researchers report different sleep schedules with the same amount of total sleep time impact the teenage brain differently. Those who nap in the afternoon, but sleep less at night, have higher levels of blood glucose than those who sleep longer at night, the study reports.
A new study reports teenage binge drinking can result in lasting epigenetic changes that alter the expression of BDNF-AS, a protein vital for the formation of neural connection in the amygdala.
Researchers have discovered a link between teenage tobacco use and an increased risk of psychotic experiences, such as paranoia and hallucinations. They report this may be due, in part, to some shared genetic influences.
