The revelations about the adolescent brain

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TEXTO COMPLETO
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+ Facebook is accused of allowing drug ads for teens
Giedd and his colleagues are redefining the concepts of medicine about this phase of life. For them, the stumbles of
adolescence are signs that the young brain is seeking to adapt to the environment. In the first 13 years of research,
scientists studied brain changes that occurred from birth to old age,health and disease. They found that adolescence
is marked by an increase in connections between different parts of the brain. It is a process of integration that will
continue throughout life, improving the joint work between the parties.
The research also revealed that, at this stage, some networks of neurons (nerve cells that exchange information with
each other) and the abandonment of others, less used, are strengthened and matured. Studies have also shown
that the wave of maturity begins in the deepest and oldest parts, close to the brain stem, such as the centers of
language, and in those linked to the processing of emotions such as fear. Then this wave is rising towards the newer
areas of the brain, linked to complex thinking and decision-making. Among them are the prefrontal cortex, the
superior temporal groove and the superior parietal cortex, involved in the integration of information sent by other
structures of the organ. This evolution explains, in part, why in this period of life impulsivity and the most visceral
feelings are manifested so easily, without going through the filter of reason.
In an attempt to elucidate why young people go through the period of growth as if they were on a roller coaster, one
of the most studied aspects is the tendency to expose themselves to risks. At the beginning of the scientific endeade
to decipher the secrets of the adolescent brain, it was believed that the lack of notion of imminent danger was
associated with the lack of maturation of the prefrontal cortex, an area linked to the assessment of risks that only
reaches full development around the age of 20. The progress of research, however, is demonstrating that around
the age of 15 young people can perceive risk in the same way and with the same accuracy as an adult.
If you know what's going on, why do young people put themselves in threatening situations? Although the basic
skills needed to perceive risks are active, the ability to regulate behavior consistently with these perceptions is not
fully mature. "In adolescence, individuals pay more attention to the potential rewards coming from a risky choice
than to the costs of this decision," Laurence Steinberg, a professor of psychology at Temple University who
specializes in adolescent development and author of "The Ten Basic Principles for Educating Your Children,"
laurence Steinberg, a professor of psychology at Temple University who specializes in adolescent development and
author of "The Ten Basic Principles for Educating Your Children," laurence Steinberg, a professor of psychology at
Temple University who specializes in adolescent development and author of "The Ten Basic Principles for Educating
Your Children," Laurence Steinberg, a professor of psychology at Temple University who specializes in adolescent
development and author of "The Ten Basic Principles for Educating Your Children," laurence Steinberg, a professor
of psychology at Temple University who specializes in adolescent development and author of "The Ten Basic
Principles for Educating Your Children," Laurence Steinberg, a professor of psychology Steinberg is one of the most
prominent scholars of adolescence today.
The researcher's statement is supported by imaging tests that indicate, in the adolescent brain, an intense activity in
areas linked to reward. For reward, understand the pleasurable feeling that invades the body and mind after a win,

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such as winning in the game or being recognized as the best by the group. This process coincides with changes in
the amounts of dopamine, a neurotransmitter (substance that makes the exchange of messages between neurons)
very important in the experience of pleasure or reward. "This seems to affect the process of anticipating the award,
so that teens feel more excited than adults when they realize the possibility of winning," says the American
psychologist.
He also sought in the theory of evolution the justification for the brain mechanism that rewards young people with
pleasant sensations for taking risks. "In the past, those who moved and took risks in search of a place with more
food took advantage of others of the species," he said. "The search for novelty and strong emotions would
represent, in the light of the theory of evolution, a sign of the ability of human beings to adapt to new environments."
Our brain would have learned that way and would be reproducing it to this day. Even more recent findings show that
reward deeply stirs the brain. "All areas of the brain are affected when an attitude is rewarded or socially penalized,"
Timothy Vickery, one of the authors of a recent paper published in the journal Neuron, told ISTOÉ.
Parallel to the brain configuration, there are the contributions of the contemporary world to the tendency to
immediate pleasure. "Perhaps the difficulties of future life and the labor market, for example, lead the young person
to a situation of living immediate pleasure. Hence the search for drink, drugs, sex and everything in the sense of
enjoying life", says the Hebiatra (doctor specialized in adolescents) Paulo César Pinho Ribeiro, from the Faculty of
Medical Sciences of Minas Gerais. In fact, around the age of 15, there is the peak of the search for strong emotions.
Psychiatrist Ana Cecília Marques, president of the Brazilian Association for the Study of Alcohol and Drugs,
advocates a firm action at this time. "Parents should assume their role and not let young people smoke or drink," he
says.
The way to address this issue is dialogue. At Colégio Peretz, in São Paulo, the strategy of talking at length about the
risks of alcohol and drug use has existed for ten years. "The proposal is to accompany young people and clarify the
doubts that arise during this period," says Evelina Holender, coordinator of the project.
The search for emotions and the desire to be accepted and admired by others –two characteristics of the adolescent
–can become an explosive mixture. Psychologist Steinberg clearly demonstrated this mechanism with the help of a
video game whose proposal was to drive a car through the city in the shortest possible time. On the route, the signs
changed from green to yellow as the cart approached. If the competitor crossed the sign before he went red, he'd
get points. If you stayed in the middle of the track or on the track, you'd lose a lot of points. By playing the games
alone in a room, the young people took risks in the same proportion as adults. But with the presence of one or more
friends in the environment there was a change in the results. "In this circumstance, adolescents ran twice the risks of
adults," the researcher noted.
The role of the group in adolescence is also being examined. "Around the age of 15, the peak activity of mirror
neurons, cells activated by observing the behavior of other people and that lead to their repetition, is recorded," says
neurologist Erasmo Barbante Casella of the Albert Einstein Hospital and the Children's Institute of the University of
São Paulo. This is one of the reasons why young people adopt similar gestures and clothing. In addition, there is the
great need to be accepted by friends and the terrible weight of rejection. "It is a phase in which identity is not
absolutely constituted, and the group ends up being the means to experiment and also a lens through which the
adolescent reads the world," says psychologist Joana Novaes, from PUC-Rio deJanuary. Studies indicate that there
is also a large amount of oxytocin, a hormone related to social connections and bonding, circulating in the body,
which would favor the tendency to walk in class.
Apart from the pleasure of being in danger and from the humorous ups and downs, adolescence can be seen as a
phase of very high resilience, which is the ability to adapt and survive difficulties. But there are downsides. The tricky
side is that adolescents undergoing so many transformations are more vulnerable to changes such as depression,
anxiety and eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Last week, a NIMH study of 10,000 young people
between the ages of 13 and 18 revealed that 12% had symptoms of social phobia, an anxiety disorder that keeps
young people away from living together. In the study, 5% of the young people confused the symptoms of the
alteration with shyness.

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It is not yet known what is the impact of the large volume of new information on the practical conduct adopted by
parents and professionals linked to young people, such as teachers and psychologists. But there are already some
changes in progress. Based on some of the findings, the Albert Einstein Israeli Hospital and the Children's Institute,
for example, Casella seeks to guide parents to pay more attention to their children's companies. "There really is a
tendency to copy behaviors. And parents need to interfere with that," says the expert.
It is also known that the universe of possibilities of the adolescent brain will be wider if the child has received
emotional and family support, good nutrition and access to education. "As in building a house, the result is better
when you have good foundations. That's why it's important to be aware of child development," pediatrician Jack
Schonoff, director of the Center for Child Development at Harvard University (USA), told ISTOÉ. Those who have
experienced shortages also have a kind of second chance to hit the step of development in adolescence, although
with limitations. "It's not possible to go back, but giving the appropriate stimuli to the teenager will help him get closer
to his maximum potential," Schonoff said. Last week, the specialist came to Brazil to launch a partnership with the
Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal Foundation, involved in initiatives for the integral development of children.
As much as crises happen, if good communication has been cultivated year after year, there will be greater
closeness between parents and children. "The crisis is a sign of health. The adolescent must contest and confront
his parents, because this is part of the reformulation he is going through," says childhood psychoanalyst Ana Maria
Brayner Iencarelli, from Rio de Janeiro. Another option that has proven to be effective in helping teenagers get
through this period of life are courses that guide how to create collectively, plan an event, set up a show or create a
blog, for example. It is no accident that initiatives are becoming popular worldwide. Research from the University of
Illinois in the United States endorses this guideline. "Teenagers engaged in activities that require creativity learn to
plan and deal with unexpected situations," says Reed Larson, a professor in the Department of Human and
Community Development at the U.S. University.
CREDIT: CE Noticias Financieras English - CENFENG

DETALLES

Materia: Child development; Neurons; Fear &phobias; Evolution; Age; Emotions; Brain
research; Teenagers; Psychologists

Término de indexación de Industry: 62133 : Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)
negocios:

Empresa/organización: Nombre: Temple University; NAICS: 611310

Clasificación: 62133: Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)

Título: The revelations about the adolescent brain

Autor: Translated by ContentEngine LLC

Título de publicación: CE Noticias Financieras, English ed.; Miami

Año de publicación: 2021

Fecha de publicación: May 14, 2021

Editorial: ContentEngine LLC, a Florida limited liability company

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 Lugar de publicación: Miami

País de publicación: US Minor Outlying Islands, Miami

Materia de publicación: Business And Economics

Tipo de fuente: Fuente por cable

Idioma de la publicación: English

Tipo de documento: News

ID del documento de 2527793080

ProQuest:

URL del documento: https://www.proquest.com/wire-feeds/revelations-about-adolescent-

brain/docview/2527793080/se-2?accountid=41021

Copyright: CE Noticias Financieras English, Latin America - Distributed by ContentEngine LLC

Última actualización: 2023-01-19

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