The Adolescent Brain Study

Study of the Adolescent Brain Enjoying the PBS Dateline episode in which they explore recent studies of the adolescent brain came simply for me, primarily because I love anything to do with psychology, and partially because I saw a lot of similarities to my own family. Additionally, the episode was well organized and researched, and included many interviews that gave it a humanistic quality, keeping me engaged. The interviews take place in the year 2002, in East Providence Rhode Island and I love the accents of the local people there, it reminds me of someone I once knew. For instance, when one of the children studied, Brittney, says, “I swear to God”, it becomes salient. Researchers have been curious about these tumultuous period across the lifespan, and here PBS had the resources and willing participants required to explore the adolescent mind, and they executed it well. The first family interviewed included a 15-year-old boy named Charlie, who is having trouble getting up for school, as is disclosed in a scene early in the episode. The parents explain that they struggle daily to get him started, and until he is ready, it’s already time for him to leave. They are unhappy with his attitudes and behaviors lately, and fear his school work is suffering as a result, and could lead to further problems later on. Consenting to be in a study concerning the development of the adolescent brain, this family courageously opened themselves up to the world via video. Another volunteer is the aforementioned, Brittney, whose mom, Beverly is empathetic to her struggles with teenage pressures and her moods. For example, she has seen dramatic changes in her mood lately, which is shown on camera as she displays erratic behavior and elevated verbal responses with her brother, Brandon. Although her mother does not interfere, she is aware and responsive to the interactions that play out in front of her. Her mother is wise enough to know that these dynamics in mood will pass and understands that her daughter’s increased hormone levels is the impetus for her emotional outbursts. Research produced for this study correlates with Beverly’s assumption of the hormone’s playing a role in behaviors that have been observed by psychologists for decades. Neuroscientists like Dr. Charles Nelson, who is also a child psychologist and has been studying his son since age nine, have recently been able to use an MRI to study children’s brain activity. The image illuminates an increase in cell production and activity, proliferating in the emotional areas of the brain. Concurrently, the pre-frontal cortex, or executive part of the brain is showing that it requires significant growth to reach maturity. Consequently, Dr. …show more content…
Jay Giedd of the National Institute of Mental Health, explains that it was an erroneous belief that the only great growth spurt of the brain occurs between birth and 18 months, when in fact, there is a second significant surge in brain growth just before puberty. The part of the brain that uses judgement is not yet developed, meanwhile, the hormones and emotional part of the brain are experiencing a “growth spurt” in of itself. This could explain the risky behaviors that teenagers are notorious for taking and could put a teenager in an incredibly precarious position considering the potential for healthy brain development is at stake. Additionally, Nicole Ellis and her mother, Gail are other participants, who along with