Salpointe Catholic High School Community of Concern

What’s Brain Got To Do With It ?

Kevin Leehey M.D.Child, Adolescent, and Adult PsychiatryBoard Certified

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2013 Trends Teen birth rate lowest in 70 years

HS grad rates are up

MVA deaths lowest in 60 years

Teen use of methamphetamine, alcohol, ecstasy, cocaine, cigarettes are slightly down

Youth suicide rate is down again

Teen traffic deaths are down 65% since 1975

Rate of violent crime decreased again

Prescription medicine abuse and Marijuana abuse continue to rise

Youth : #1 alcohol, #2 marijuana, #3 tobacco, #4 “pills”= Adderall (stimulants), opiates, benzos, Ambien, DXM, Soma

Spice, K-2, synthetic Research Chemicals (legal) = cannabanoids, “bath salts”, hallucinogens; fake urine, drug test masking, bongs, Salvia, Smoke (Head) shops, TOR internet “The Silk Road”

Drugs kill more than cars do in ~ 30 states

Legal drugs are as dangerous as illegal drugs

Youth drink to get “buzzed”, drunk; binge = 5 for M, 4 for F in 2 hrs

The left side of the brain is shown.

Source: Shaywitz – Overcoming Dyslexia

Brain development proceeds from the back and base of the brain toward the front and top.The Cerebellum governs coordination of movement and develops early. This is one reason teens are often driven to be active, to take their new bodies out for a test drive.

The Amygdala is part of the Limbic system and is located in the Temporal Lobe next to the Hippocampus close to our ears. It promotes emotions, fear, risk taking, lability, and volatility. The Amygdala is partly developed in teens and not yet balanced by the Frontal Cortex.

The Nucleus Accumbens is a collection of neurons within the Striatum that play a major role in reward, pleasure, addiction, and motivation. Its only partially developed status in teens contributes to why teens often prefer high reward, stimulating, thrilling, lower effort activities (eg. video games). It is also not yet balanced by the Frontal Lobe.

The Pre-frontal cortex is the last area to reach adult maturity. It is our reasoning center which we use to ride herd on our impulses and emotions via “Stop and Think”. The cortex is the main part of the brain that humanizes us.

The Teen brain is wired for seeking sensation, novelty, new experience, excitement, thrills, and risk.Although this includes impulsivity, sensation and thrills are often carefully planned.“Teens take more risk not because they don’t understand the dangers but because they weigh risk vs. reward differently; …if risk can get them the reward they want, they value reward more heavily than adults do.” (Nat’l Geographic article)And especially in the company of peers. (“peer pressure”)They don’t think it will happen to them.Overall this has evolutionary advantages for the greater population but injury or death for at least some individuals.Peak risk taking is 12-18, highest around age 17.Peak substance use is around age 18. The part of the brain that makes teens responsible is still under construction.

The teen brain is more vulnerable to the stimulating, damaging, and addicting effects of nicotine, alcohol, and other drugs.

One in three teens who start smoking as a teen will die of a tobacco related disease. 90% of adult smokers began as teens. Almost 45% of kids who start drinking alcohol by 13 will become alcoholic, while only 10% of those who wait till 21 will.Substance use in youth thus becomes hard wired in as a tendency for life. This is in addition to any genetic predisposition.

Healthy Subject watching video of using

Substance abuser in remission watching

video of using

Synapses that are used often are kept and reinforced.

Those that are not used are lost.

How you spend your time and the experiences you have or don’t have are critical.

Neurobiology of the Adolescent Brain and Behavior : Implications for Substance Use Disorders by BJ Casey PhD and Rebecca Jones MS JAACAP Vol 49 Issue 12 Dec. 2010 pages 1189-1201

“…heightened vulnerability to risk taking in adolescence is ‘due to the combination of relatively higher inclinations to seek excitement and relatively immature capacities for self control…’ “

Thus you must parent.You are the most powerful and important environmental (“nurture”) force.

Remember it’s the interaction between nature (biology) and nurture (environment) that determines the outcome.

Parenting is “hands on” thru 11-13, “hands around” thru 17-19, “hands under” thru 18-25, then “hands off”.

Parenting is the building of character, instilling values and self discipline, and teaching independent living skills. This develops and changes the brain’s structure.

Teach self control (stop and think) and perseverance (…try, try again). These traits best predict success and happiness.

Actual Causes of Preventable Deaths

Causes of death ages 15-24 : Accidents -primarily motor vehicle, many are substance impaired. Suicide Homicide Unintentional Drug Overdoses

These 4 account for 75% of all deaths in our kids. Suicide and homicide are mostly by guns and many are substance impaired.

•Teen traffic deaths dropped 62% since 1975.•AZ- 15 ½, permit >6 month, 20 hr day+10 hr night, written test•“G” Graduated DL- unless guardian in front passenger seat can’t drive MN to 5 AM for 6 months or have >1 passenger except sib till 18•Parental involvement. Eg, Ford’s MyKey limits speed, radio volume, no radio till seat belt. Supervised practice/teach/coach.•Advanced (defensive) driver training courses.•Safer Cars.

Rates of prescription painkiller sales, deaths and substance abuse treatment admissions (1999-2010)

SOURCES: National Vital Statistics System, 1999-2008; Automation of Reports and Consolidated Orders System (ARCOS) of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 1999-2010; Treatment Episode Data Set, 1999-2009

Most of the increase is due to prescription opiate pain meds. This increase parallels increased prescriptions. Some is due to cocaine. Some is due to heroin.

The more you use marijuana the more likely you are to use multiple other drugs.Most substance abusers use many different drugs, not just one or two.

Normal Sleep Architecture

REM is most important. Optimal sleep promotes attention, memory, creativity, decision making, judgment, impulse control, memory ST and LT, social skills, and lessens irritability. It lessens substance use, promotes healthier weight, overall and heart health and mental health.

Studies show “not living in an intact 2 bio parent home increases a child’s past, current, and future risk for trauma exposure and PTSD”. Single parents often do great, it’s just a lot harder with more challenges.Social Mobility (the American Dream) has been declining in the US. Studies show that “countries and the parts of the US that invest heavily in all their children’s health care, nutrition, and education end up with a much stronger ladder of opportunity”.

Youth drink to get drunk - binge on as much as possible as fast as possible. Drinking games.> 60% HS seniors have had intercourse.> 50% HS seniors drink regularly.20% HS seniors smoke cigarettes.25% HS seniors smoke marijauna.33% HS seniors use other drugs including “pills”.> 60% teens will try other drugs by end of HS.

Bad things can happen to Good kids

Typically people don’t say, “I think I’ll get a DUI and ruin lots of lives today.”

No one says or thinks, “Gee, today I’m gonna drink, smoke, or use a drug so I can become an alcoholic or addict.”

More Useful Information

drugfree.org “Six Componets of Effective Parenting” and “A Parent’s Guide to the Teen Brain”

National Geographic, October 2011, “…Teenage Brain”

The Social Animal by David Brooks

Yes, Your Teen Is Crazy  by Michael Bradley Ed.D.

Parenting With Love and Logic  by  Foster Cline M.D. and Jim Fay (Get the Teen version)

Read the C of C booklet - it’s very useful !

Thank you and Good Luck !

Kevin Leehey MDleeheymd.com

296-4280