Research now supports what parents have long suspected—that the teenager’s brain is different than the adult brain. The teenage brain – Its just not grown up yet. Recent research by scientists at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has found that the teen brain is not a finished product, but is a work in progress. Until recently most scientists believed that the major “wiring” of the brain was completed by as early as three years of age and that the brain was fully mature by the age of 10 or 12. New findings show that the greatest changes to the parts of the brain that are responsible for functions such as self-control, judgment, emotions, and organization occur between puberty and adulthood. This may help to explain certain teenage behavior that adults can find mystifying, such as poor decision-making, recklessness, and emotional outbursts.

To read more about this article please visit Adolescent Brain Development, A collaboration of Cornell University, University of Rochester, and the NYS Center for School Safety, May 2002

Another great resource on Adolescent Brain Development can be found in the PBS special Inside The Teenage Brain. Like many PBS specials it can be viewed at your convenience via the PBS website!