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Why do many psychiatric disorders emerge during adolescence?
Tomás Paus1, Matcheri Keshavan, Jay N Giedd
1Brain & Body Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK. tomas.paus@nottingham.ac.uk
Nature Reviews. Neuroscience
|November 13, 2008
Summary
Adolescence is a critical period for brain development and the onset of psychiatric disorders. Understanding adolescent brain maturation, including structural changes and reward sensitivity, is key to improving mental health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Adolescence is a period of significant physical and behavioral changes.
- Many psychiatric disorders first emerge during adolescence.
- Brain development processes underlying these changes are under investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore current knowledge on human brain maturation during adolescence.
- To investigate the relationship between structural cortical changes and synaptic pruning.
- To examine the role of myelination in white-matter volume increases.
- To assess changes in reward sensitivity during adolescence.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent neuroimaging and neuroscience research.
- Analysis of studies on synaptic pruning and cortical development.
- Investigation of myelination processes and white-matter changes.
- Examination of research on adolescent reward processing.
Main Results:
- Adolescence involves significant structural and functional brain alterations.
- Synaptic pruning and myelination are key processes in cortical maturation.
- Adolescent brains exhibit altered sensitivity to rewards compared to other age groups.
Conclusions:
- Understanding adolescent brain development is crucial for addressing psychiatric disorders.
- Further research into these developmental processes can inform mental health interventions.
- Key areas of investigation include synaptic plasticity, myelination, and reward circuitry.
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