How is the teenage brain different to that of an adult?
Very interesting question. I have heard this before but have never really looked into it. While researching your question I found some information regarding the differences between adult and adolescent brain development. It seems there is a difference in terms of the region called the prefrontal cortex. It is the prefrontal cortex that tells us when to act on our anger, or curtail it, eat that second piece of dessert, or go without, seek immediate gratification or hold off for the long term, basically decision making and behavior. Teens handle stress and emotions differently as well. These differences between adolescents and adults have a basis in brain development. Throughout childhood, the brain undergoes dramatic changes. Nerve cells grow and they develop more connections. A substance called myelin covers the cells, increasing the speed of nerve signals about 100-fold. Finally, “pruning” occurs, which eliminates connections that are not needed. This makes communication more efficien
