The Adolescent Brain: A Work in Progress Bluegrass Prevention Center

1. The Adolescent Brain: A Work in Progress Bluegrass Prevention Center

2. Teenagers make a lot of decisions that the average nine year old would say was a dumb thing to do.

3. The Growing Brain in 25 Words or Less… (Almost) Frontal Lobe: Responsible for impulse control, judgment, planning, self-regulation, motivation, abstract thinking, understanding cause and effect (consequences) Amygdala: Responsible for emotional regulation Cerebellum: Responsible for coordination of movement, coordination of cognitive processes

5. Baking Times for the Teenage Brain Frontal Lobe: Early 20s Amygdala: Age 18-19 Cerebellum: Age 18

6. Use It Or Lose It The brain is shaped by a process of “overgrowth” and “pruning.” After birth, there are two VERY busy times of brain growth: 0 – 3 years of age 12- 19 years of age

7. If the growing brain is • Reading • Playing sports • Solving problems • Serving the community • those connections become hard-wired into the brain.

8. If the growing brain is • Laying on the couch • Playing video games • Watching television • Using alcohol or other drugs • those connections become hard-wired into the brain.

9. Babies rely on parents and the environment to shape their brain. Teenagers are often left on their own to shape their brain (using a brain that may not yet be capable of making those decision.)

10. Teenagers Have Every Reason to Believe That No One Understands Them “I hate you. Can I have some money and a ride to the mall?”

11. Language Barrier: Logic vs. Emotion MRI Study: Adults recognized a photograph showing “fear” 100% of the time. 50% of teenagers saw “anger” in the same photograph. Frontal lobe (logic) vs. Amygdala (emotion)

12. Adult Brain Adolescent Brain

13. Moodiness??? Serotonin (the calming neurotransmitter) is at an all-time low during the teenage years Small amounts of Dopamine (the feel-good neurotransmitter) make the brain crave that “rush” that comes from risk-taking, infatuation, alcohol / other drug use, etc….

14. Physical activity / exercise can do wonders to help regulate these neurotransmitters!

15. Risk-taking feels good to the growing brain because this brain craves Dopamine We can help by providing opportunities for SAFER risks: Bungee jumping, rock climbing, public speaking, karaoke, competitions…..

16. Substance Use Teenagers are MORE vulnerable to effects of alcohol on memory, while being LESS vulnerable to the sedating and motor control effects. Addiction can have a more rapid onset during adolescence. The pruning process can hard-wire the neurons around the feelings associated with use.

17. Youth who first use alcohol before age 15 are more than 5 times more likely to develop alcoholism than a person who first used at age 21.

18. Implications • Teenagers are not just “adults with annoying behaviors.” Remember developmental expectations. • The brain of a teenager is highly moldable by experience – much more so than an adult. In this regard, teenagers need as much structure and “parenting” as younger children, even though their needs are different.