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Individual Differences in Frontolimbic Circuitry and Anxiety Emerge with Adolescent Changes in Endocannabinoid Signaling Across Species
Genetic variations in an enzyme called FAAH, which affects brain chemistry, influence anxiety risk. This genetic effect primarily emerges during adolescence in both humans and mice, aligning with developmental changes in the brain.
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Leaving and Returning to the Parental Home: the Role of Life Course Transitions, Socioeconomic Resources, and Family Connectivity
More young adults now live with their parents due to economic shifts. Racial and ethnic groups show different rates and timing of leaving or returning home.
Stress and the Adolescent Brain: Amygdala-prefrontal Cortex Circuitry and Ventral Striatum as Developmental Targets
Adolescence is a crucial period for brain development, making it both highly adaptable and vulnerable to stress. The timing and type of stress exposure during this time can significantly impact brain function.
The Lasting Impact of Early-life Adversity on Individuals and Their Descendants: Potential Mechanisms and Hope for Intervention
Early life stress profoundly impacts mental health across a lifespan. Studies, particularly with animals, show it alters brain development, fear learning, and stress responses, increasing the risk of psychopathology.
The Role of Social Determinants in Explaining Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Perinatal Outcomes
The US has significant racial/ethnic disparities in infant mortality, driven by higher preterm birth rates among minority women. Social determinants of health, like income, education, housing, and racism, mediate these differences.
When Is an Adolescent an Adult? Assessing Cognitive Control in Emotional and Nonemotional Contexts
Legal definitions of adulthood vary, but brain development, especially in areas controlling behavior, continues into the early 20s. This suggests that cognitive control in emotional situations may mature later than in neutral ones.
Young Adulthood as a Transitional Legal Category: Science, Social Change, and Justice Policy
The article finds that developmental brain research suggests young adults, like juveniles, are less culpable for crimes and have a greater potential for reform. This research supports reconsidering how the law treats offenders up to age 21.
Adolescents in Peer Groups Make More Prudent Decisions When a Slightly Older Adult Is Present
Adolescents take more risks in groups than alone, but having an older adult present may reduce this behavior. This study examined how an adult's presence affects group decision-making and risk-taking among late adolescents.
Alcohol and Drug Use and the Developing Brain
Adolescent substance use, especially alcohol and marijuana, begins earlier in life and correlates with poorer outcomes. This review focuses on how substance use impacts crucial brain development during this period.
An Upside to Reward Sensitivity: the Hippocampus Supports Enhanced Reinforcement Learning in Adolescence
Adolescents learn better from positive and negative feedback than adults. This enhanced learning is linked to greater activity in brain regions associated with memory and reward processing.
Buffering Social Influence: Neural Correlates of Response Inhibition Predict Driving Safety in the Presence of a Peer
Social influence impacts behavior throughout life, especially among adolescent peers. Susceptibility to influence can lead to risky behaviors like drug or alcohol use and unsafe driving.
Frontostriatal White Matter Integrity Predicts Development of Delay of Gratification: a Longitudinal Study
This study found that the ability to delay gratification improves with age. Maturation of brain connections between reward and control centers predicts this improvement.
Neurobiology of Addiction: a Neurocircuitry Analysis
Drug addiction is a chronic, relapsing disorder with a cycle of binge/intoxication, withdrawal, and craving. This condition involves neuroplastic changes in the brain's reward, stress, and executive function systems.
Peer Passenger Norms and Pressure: Experimental Effects on Simulated Driving Among Teenage Males
Teen crash rates are higher than adults due to inexperience and development. Peers, especially male passengers, increase risk-taking in adolescent drivers.
Searching for Signatures of Brain Maturity: What Are We Searching For?
Neuroscientific evidence of brain development is increasingly used in legal and policy discussions. However, there is no scientific consensus on what constitutes a "mature" brain, as development continues past age 30.