Objectives

• To challenge some of the myths we hold about the teenage brain

• To learn about how the teenage brain processes information

• To understand why the teenage brain processes differently from other brains

• To discuss strategies to offset

What do I know about my brain?Answer True or False

1. The brain is largely a finished product by age 12.2. During adolescence, the brain is becoming more

efficient, but it is also losing some of its potential for learning.

3. The teen brain is like an adult brain, but with less experience.

4. Hormonal changes are the primary reason for teens’ emotional outbursts.

5. Teens engage in risky behavior because they don’t understand the consequences.

6. We notice depression and mental illnesses more during the teen years because teens have more feelings.

7. The teen brain is much better at multitasking than the adult brain.

8. The average teen needs more than 9 hours of sleep every night.

9. The reason teens struggle to get up in the morning is because they don’t go to bed until late at night.

10. The teen brain should stop every 15 minutes to process new information.

How are teen brains different?

Neural Pruning • Starts in the womb when neurons over

populate • 1st round of neural pruning ends around

age 3• Between 6-12 neurons grow bushy• At 11-12, connections start pruning• Over half by age 15• “Neural Darwinism”

Use it or lose it!

Stop• List what you do in a day.• Create a pie chart.• Divide up sleeping, reading, writing,

studying, playing an instrument, playing a sport, listening to music, working, TV, movies and video games.

• How are you wired?

What fires together wires together.

What’s happening with my emotions?

• During puberty, hormones are released• Impacts serotonin and dopamine levels• Information is processed differently• Rely on amygdala rather than frontal lobes• React, don’t process• An appetite for thrills• Fewer frontal lobe functions

-reasoning, motivation, planning,

goal setting…

Too much emotion…

• Produces adrenaline• Gut reaction• Energy is re-directed—fight or flight• Difficult to think and remember• Produces cortisol-stress hormone• Brain can not differentiate between

emotional and physical danger

What emotion is this woman expressing?

The teen brain responds differently to the outside

world.

• 100 % of adults identified fear.• Fewer than 50% teens saw fear• Teens saw anger, confusion, or shock• Teens often see hostility where there is

none• Teens read visual cues differently• Boys were more impulsive

Teens used less of the prefrontal region while more emotional regions were

activated

Studies by Yurgelun-Todd, Director of Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neuroimaging,

Belmont, Mass.

Stop!Write a 1 to 2 sentence summary of what you’ve learned. Use any 4 of

these 6 words:

adolescentdendrite

neural pruningdopamineamygdala

frontal lobe

Share with your neighbor

During adolescence mental illness can surface…

• In the 10th grade, 64% of boys and 89% of girls report being concerned about a friend who is depressed.

• Higher percentage teens used drugs and alcohol- irregular Dopamine levels

• Schizophrenia & Bipolar

Disorder is thought to be

triggered-15% vs 25%

Teens Lead All Age Groups With Cases of Depression

6%5%4%3%2%1%0

9-17 18-54 55+

Dumb Decisions!• Risk assessment studies• When will you run a yellow light?• Teens, when alone, reacted as adults• Teens, when with peers, showed risky

behavior• Immature nucleus accumbens-motivation• Prone to engaging in behaviors with either

high excitement or low effort factor• Emphasize immediate payoff!

We need our sleep...

• Our brains review and sort material

while sleeping• Information is stored and discarded • Rats reconstructed their days in their dreams• Studies have shown sleepers perform better • Teens need 9.25 hours of sleep; most get 7.5• Teens Melatonin levels differ

How does the teen brain learn best?

• Scientists saw more activity in the Cerebellum—physical coordination

• Use movement• Use emotion• Take brain breaks• 20 minute maximum attention span• Review 10, 24 and 7• Pause, reflect, discuss, connect…

What do I know about my brain?Answer True or False

1. The brain is largely a finished product by age 12.2. During adolescence, the brain is becoming more

efficient, but it is also losing some of its potential for learning.

3. The teen brain responds to stimuli differently than the adult brain.

4. Hormonal changes are responsible for teens’ emotional outbursts.

5. Teens engage in risky behavior because they don’t understand the consequences.

6. We notice depression and mental illnesses more during the teen years because teens have more feelings.

7. The teen brain’s reaction to input is similar to the reaction of the adult brain.

8. The average teen needs more than 9 hours of sleep every night.

9. The reason teens struggle to get up in the morning is because they don’t go to bed until late at night.

10. The teen brain should stop every 15 minutes to process new information.