Teen Brain Research
The Teen Brain: It’s Just Not Grown Up Yet!
Here’s a link to a story on National Public Radio about neurological research on the Teen Brain. Because the connectors are not fully developed in the frontal lobe of the brain until our mid-20s, teens’ brain activity that helps them make decisions regarding risk are sluggish. Here’s what the report says about addiction:
“‘Addiction has been shown to be essentially a form of ‘learning,’ ” Jensen says. After all, if the brain is wired to form new connections in response to the environment, and potent psychoactive drugs suddenly enter that environment, those substances are “tapping into a much more robust habit-forming ability that adolescents have, compared to adults.” So studies have shown that a teenager who smokes pot will still show cognitive deficits days later. An adult who smokes the same dose will return to cognitive baseline much faster.”
