Question

Full description of the structural changes in the brain including the gray and white matter, limbic system and prefrontal cortex during adolescence

Answer 1

Adolescence is the developmental epoch during which children become adults – intellectually, physically, hormonally, and socially. Adolescence is a tumultuous time, full of changes and transformations. The pubertal transition to adulthood involves both gonadal and behavioral maturation. The maturation of the adolescent brain is also influenced by heredity, environment, and sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone), which play a crucial role in myelination. This pubertal period includes the onset of menses, or menarche, in girls, and the onset of nocturnal emission, or spermarche, in boys. Menarche in girls tends to be an event that occurs rather late in the pubertal process. Spermarche in boys represents the transition from prepubertal to pubertal, and occurs on average at approximately 13–14 years old. The males have larger white matter volumes in childhood and later in adolescence. Synaptic plasticity and the release of neurotransmitters may also be influenced by environmental neurotoxins and drugs of abuse including cigarettes, caffeine, and alcohol during adolescence