The Neuroscience of Adolescence

Description

As scientific inquiry and public interest in the adolescent brain grows, so too does the need for an accessible textbook that communicates the growing research on this topic. The Neuroscience of Adolescence is a comprehensive educational tool for developmental cognitive neuroscience students at all levels as it details the varying elements that shape the adolescent brain. Historical notions of adolescence have focused on the significant hormonal changes that occur as one transitions from childhood to adolescence, but new research has revealed a more nuanced picture that helps inform our understanding of how the brain functions across the lifespan. By emphasizing the biological and neurobiological changes that occur during adolescence, this book gives students a holistic understanding of this developmental window and uniquely discusses the policy implications of neuroscience research on the lives of young people today. 05_0_pp_v_vi_Dedication 06_0_pp_vii_xi_Contents 07_0_pp_xii_xvi_Figures 08_0_pp_xvii_xviii_Preface 1 What_Is_Adolescence 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Periods of Development 1.2.1 Childhood 1.2.2 Adolescence 1.2.3 Adulthood 1.3 Adolescence: A Historical Perspective 1.4 Adolescence across the Globe and across Species 1.5 Theoretical Models of Adolescent Brain Development 1.5.1 Dual Systems Model (Figure 1.1a) 1.5.2 Triadic Model (Figure 1.1b) 1.5.3 Imbalance Model (Figure 1.1c) 1.5.4 Social Information Processing Model 1.5.5 Fuzzy Trace Theory 1.6 What is the Function of Adolescence? 1.6.1 How Does the Brain Facilitate Independence? 1.7 Human Brain Development: An Overview 1.7.1 Interactive Specialization Framework 1.8 The Importance of Understanding Adolescent Brain Development 1.9 The Importance of Animal Models 1.10 Chapter Summary 1.11 Review Questions Further Reading 2 Puberty 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Pubertal Hormones 2.3 Neuroendocrine System 2.3.1 Adrenarche and Gonadarche 2.4 What Triggers Puberty? 2.5 Timing Is Everything 2.5.1 Genetic Factors 2.5.2 Psychosocial Factors 2.5.3 Ethnic Differences 2.5.4 Early and Late Maturation Early Maturation Late Maturation 2.6 Pubertal Implications on Behavior 2.6.1 Pubertal Timing Effects on Psychopathology 2.7 “You’ve Gotten so Tall!” 2.8 Bone Age 2.9 Puberty and Brain Structure 2.9.1 Gray Matter 2.9.2 White Matter 2.10 Puberty and Brain Function 2.11 Chapter Summary 2.12 Review Questions Further Reading 3 Cognitive_Neuroscience_Methods_to_Study_the_Adolescent_Brain 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Brain Scans 3.2.1 Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (sMRI) sMRI: Strengths and Limitations 3.2.2 Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) DTI: Strengths and Limitations 3.2.3 Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) BOLD fMRI: Strengths and Limitations 3.2.4 Functional Connectivity Resting State fMRI in Developing Populations Strengths and Weaknesses Multivoxel Pattern Analysis (MVPA) Methods Multivoxel Pattern Analysis (MVPA) Methods: Developmental Applications 3.3 Electrophysiology 3.3.1 Electroencephalography (EEG) 3.3.2 Magnetoencephalography (MEG) 3.3.3 Strengths and Limitations 3.4 Eye-Tracking 3.4.1 Strengths and Limitations 3.5 Recruiting Adolescent Research Volunteers 3.6 Computerized Tasks 3.7 Analytical Considerations 3.7.1 Performance Differences 3.7.2 The “Task B” Problem 3.7.3 Physiological Differences 3.7.4 Interpreting Group Differences 3.8 Chapter Summary 3.9 Review Questions Further Reading 4 Brain_Plasticity 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Neuroplasticity, Defined 4.3 Neural Mechanisms of Plasticity 4.3.1 Neuroplasticity Mechanisms Neurogenesis Synaptogenesis Long-Term Potentiation Long-Term Depression Hebbian Learning Theory 4.4 Critical Periods 4.4.1 Experience-Expectant Mechanisms 4.4.2 Experience-Dependent Processes Environmental Complexity Paradigm 4.5 Neuroimaging Evidence of Plasticity in Humans 4.5.1 Research in Adults 4.5.2 Research in Children 4.5.3 The Plasticity of Developmental Timing 4.6 Why Is Plasticity Adaptive? 4.6.1 Opportunities for Intervention and Remediation Intervention Studies Dyslexia Intervention 4.6.2 Cross-Modal Plasticity 4.6.3 Psychotherapy 4.6.4 Exercise 4.7 Adverse Environments and Plasticity 4.7.1 Socioeconomic Status and Plasticity Language Development Executive Functions Social Causation Hypothesis 4.8 Chapter Summary 4.9 Review Questions Further Reading 5 Neurocognitive_Development 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Cognition, Defined 5.3 Prefrontal Cortex – an Evolutionary History 5.3.1 Why Do We Need a Prefrontal Cortex? 5.4 The A-not-B Task 5.4.1 The Role of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in A-not-B 5.5 Structural Development of the Prefrontal Cortex 5.5.1 Gray Matter 5.5.2 White Matter 5.5.3 Sex Differences 5.5.4 Structural Developmental in Clinical Populations Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Delayed Shifts Disrupted Velocity Deviant Trajectories 5.5.5 Effects of Psychopharmacological Treatment on Neurodevelopment 5.6 Functional Development of the Prefrontal Cortex 5.6.1 Cognitive Control Motivated Cognitive Control Emotional Interference Individual Differences in Cognitive Control 5.7 Functional Connectivity 5.8 Working Memory 5.9 Implications 5.10 Chapter Summary 5.11 Review Questions Further Reading 6 Motivational_Systems 6.1 Introduction 6.2 What Is a Reward? 6.3 The Reward System 6.3.1 The Development of the Dopamine System 6.3.2 Reward Neurocircuitry 6.3.3 MRI Studies of the Adolescent Reward System 6.3.4 fMRI Studies of the Adolescent Reward System 6.3.5 Neurophysiological Maturation of the Reward System 6.3.6 Reward Influences on Cognitive Control 6.3.7 Neural Response to Immediate versus Delayed Rewards 6.3.8 Functional Connectivity Studies of Reward Processing 6.4 Neural Correlates of Risk-Taking in Adolescents 6.4.1 Individual Differences in Reward and Risk-Sensitivity 6.5 A Model to Explain Risky Decision-Making in Adolescents 6.5.1 Peer Influence on Risk-Taking 6.6 The Adaptive Aspects of Adolescent Risk-Taking 6.7 The Role of Motivational Systems in Learning 6.8 Chapter Summary 6.9 Review Questions Further Reading 7 The_Social_Brain 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Basic Social Cognitive Skills 7.2.1 Face Processing Neural Correlates of Face Processing Fusiform Gyrus Development Posterior Superior Temporal Sulcus Face Processing in Other Species 7.2.2 Affect Processing Amygdala fMRI Studies of the Amygdala Amygdala–mPFC Functional Connectivity How Emotions Impact Cognition 7.3 Complex Social Cognitive Skills 7.3.1 Theory of Mind/Mentalizing Mentalizing Theories Neural Correlates of Mentalizing 7.3.2 Social Evaluation 7.3.3 Prosocial Behavior 7.4 Adolescent Self-Development 7.5 Atypical Social Development 7.5.1 Social Anxiety Disorder 7.5.2 Autism Mentalizing Face Processing Eye Gaze Face Recognition Emotion Recognition 7.6 Chapter Summary 7.7 Review Questions Further Reading 8 The_Implications_of_Adolescent_Neuroscience_on_Policy 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Maturity 8.2.1 The Elements of Maturity 8.3 Juvenile Justice 8.3.1 Who Is a Juvenile? 8.3.2 Juvenile Justice Law: A Historical Overview 8.3.3 Current Juvenile Justice Law 8.3.4 Competence 8.3.5 The Role of Adolescent Brain Research in Juvenile Justice 8.3.6 A Cautionary Note about Adolescent Brain Research in Juvenile Justice Policy 8.4 Driving 8.4.1 Effects of Teenage Passengers 8.4.2 Effects of Alcohol and Other Drugs 8.4.3 Effects of Drowsy Driving 8.4.4 A Decline in Teenage Driving 8.5 Adolescent Sleep 8.5.1 Why Adolescents Receive Insufficient Sleep 8.5.2 The Consequences of Poor Sleep 8.5.3 The Role of School Start Time 8.5.4 School Start Time: The Recommendations 8.5.5 School Start Time: The Reality 8.5.6 School Start Time: Reasons for the Resistance 8.6 Media and the Adolescent Brain 8.7 Sex Education 8.8 Health Decisions 8.8.1 The Mature Minor Doctrine History of the Mature Minor Doctrine 8.8.2 Abortion 8.9 Future Directions 8.10 Chapter Summary 8.11 Review Questions Further Reading Glossary_of_Key_Terms Complete_List_of_References Index