How does puberty change the brain?

Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th Edition)
11th Edition
ISBN:9780134580999
Author:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn
Publisher:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn
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How does puberty change the brain?

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Likewise, puberty organizes and restructures the nucleus
accumbens involved in reward and sensation-seeking. Activity in
this dopamine hub is thought to drive the pleasurable sensations
we feel when doing rewarding activities, like spending time with
friends or having new experiences. Several studies have found
that as hormone levels increase through puberty, so does the
response of the nucleus accumbens. As a result, exploration and
social engagement may feel that much more important during
adolescence.
▷ 03:03
As these emotion and reward centers rapidly develop, their
connections with higher cortical brain regions tend to do so on an
extended timeline. These cortical regions, which help impose
emotional regulation and impulse control, continue to grow well
past puberty, into your 20s. While teens are often unfairly
stereotyped as rash or impulsive, research reveals a more
complex story. Teens are just as capable as adults of making
thoughtful decisions when given the time and space. It's only
during high stress or in the heat of the moment that teens may
find it more difficult to manage emotions. Further, this lengthy
cortical development allows adolescent brains to remain
adaptable as they learn and grow in new situations, form their
identities, and build the skill sets needed for adulthood.
Transcribed Image Text:Likewise, puberty organizes and restructures the nucleus accumbens involved in reward and sensation-seeking. Activity in this dopamine hub is thought to drive the pleasurable sensations we feel when doing rewarding activities, like spending time with friends or having new experiences. Several studies have found that as hormone levels increase through puberty, so does the response of the nucleus accumbens. As a result, exploration and social engagement may feel that much more important during adolescence. ▷ 03:03 As these emotion and reward centers rapidly develop, their connections with higher cortical brain regions tend to do so on an extended timeline. These cortical regions, which help impose emotional regulation and impulse control, continue to grow well past puberty, into your 20s. While teens are often unfairly stereotyped as rash or impulsive, research reveals a more complex story. Teens are just as capable as adults of making thoughtful decisions when given the time and space. It's only during high stress or in the heat of the moment that teens may find it more difficult to manage emotions. Further, this lengthy cortical development allows adolescent brains to remain adaptable as they learn and grow in new situations, form their identities, and build the skill sets needed for adulthood.
Puberty, in fact, begins in the brain. At some point, usually
between the ages of 9 and 14, puberty is triggered when a region
known as the hypothalamus releases waves of a specialized
hormone.
▷ 01:19
As convenient as it would be to go to sleep a child and wake up
an adult, this maturation is slow, and puberty lasts as long as 4 to
5 years. And during this extended process, the brain undergoes
its own transformation, thanks to two of puberty's key players-
estrogen and testosterone.
▷ 01:39
Produced in the developing testes and ovaries, these hormones
hitch a ride to the brain via the bloodstream. Once there, they
interact with receptors on neurons, changing the way the
individual cells work and function by making them more or less
excitable, altering their growth, or reshaping their connections.
Cumulatively, this can change how you feel, think, and behave.
02:01
Transcribed Image Text:Puberty, in fact, begins in the brain. At some point, usually between the ages of 9 and 14, puberty is triggered when a region known as the hypothalamus releases waves of a specialized hormone. ▷ 01:19 As convenient as it would be to go to sleep a child and wake up an adult, this maturation is slow, and puberty lasts as long as 4 to 5 years. And during this extended process, the brain undergoes its own transformation, thanks to two of puberty's key players- estrogen and testosterone. ▷ 01:39 Produced in the developing testes and ovaries, these hormones hitch a ride to the brain via the bloodstream. Once there, they interact with receptors on neurons, changing the way the individual cells work and function by making them more or less excitable, altering their growth, or reshaping their connections. Cumulatively, this can change how you feel, think, and behave. 02:01
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