Study of the Teenage Brain Shows the Transition to Adulthood

Helen Holmes March 20, 2013

In a long-term study published in the American Journal of Psychology, scientists have provided, for the first time, a longitudinal description of sleeping adolescent brains as they shift to maturity.

According to lead author Irwin Feinberg, professor emeritus of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, and Director of UC Davis Sleep Laboratory, their findings show that the brain undergoes a remarkable amount of reorganisation during the puberty stage, which is necessary for complex thinking. For their study, Feinberg and his colleagues monitored the brain activities of 18 healthy young individuals ages 6 and 10 using an electroencephalogram (EEG), for two nights every six months. The study was carried out for 10 years.

The Neuronal Pruning

Feinberg explained that scientists have generally assumed that a huge number of brain synapses are needed early in life to help a person recover from injuries and adapt to the changes in environment. These synapses however, impair the regions of the brain associated with problem solving and logical thinking – two cognitive processes critical for adulthood.

Their findings show that the synaptic density in the cerebral cortex reaches its peak at the age of 8, and starts to decline after. Researchers also found that the highest decline occurs between the age of 12 and 16 ½ years. This led them to conclude that the ‘neuronal pruning’ or the streamlining of the brain activity which is essential in adult cognition, takes place together with the timing of reproductive maturity.

EEG can help detect mental illness

Their study also confirmed that EEG is a powerful tool that can help track brain changes during all phases of life, and could be potentially used in diagnosing age-related mental problems. Feinberg said that aside from being simple and accessible, the EEG provides more accurate results than the more expensive options.

Feinberg hopes that their findings can be used as basis for seeking errors in brain development which normally occurs during adolescence. “Once these underlying processes have been identified, it may become possible to influence adolescent brain changes in ways that promote normal development and correct emerging abnormalities", he said.

Source of this article:

Longitudinal Sleep EEG Trajectories Indicate Complex Patterns of Adolescent Brain Maturation