| Understanding the Teenage Brain & ADHD During Puberty
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April 2023
Did you know that big and important changes happen in the brain during adolescence? The early years are a critical time for brain development, but the brain still goes through a lot of changes during adolescence before it functions as an adult brain. |
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These changes happen intensively during adolescence, and continue into the mid-20s. This Snapshot explores some of the changes in the teenage brain as well as a common brain-based disorder Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
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The teen years are all about fine-tuning how the brain works. The main change is that unused connections in the thinking and processing part of a child‘s brain are ’pruned‘ away. At the same time, other connections are strengthened. This is the brain‘s way of becoming more efficient. The classic “use it or lose it” principle applies to adolescence—those circuits that are actively engaged may remain, those underutilized may be subject to pruning.
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For an adolescent, this means that if they want to learn a foreign language well, learn to paint or be proficient at a sport, engaging in those activities before and during adolescence is an optimum time to do so. The brain moves from being a sponge and absorbing everything in childhood, to specialization during adolescence. | This pruning process begins in the back of the brain. The front part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex, is re-modelled last. The prefrontal cortex is the decision-making part of the brain, responsible for an adolescent's ability to plan and think about the consequences of actions, solve problems and control impulses. Changes in this part of the brain continue into early adulthood.
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Because the prefrontal cortex is still developing, teens might rely on the part of the brain called the amygdala to make decisions and solve problems more than adults do. The amygdala is associated with emotions, impulses and instinctive behavior. That’s why when teens have overwhelming emotional input, they can’t explain later what they were thinking. They weren’t thinking as much as they were feeling.
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The adolescent brain also begins laying down more myelin. Myelin enables neurons to communicate with each other with more coordination and speed. Neural firing becomes three thousand times quicker with myelination. This essentially makes teens super learners!
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The limbic system, which regulates emotion and reward, is linked to the hormonal changes that occur at puberty. It is also related to thrill seeking and a shift toward interacting with peers.
The earlier development of the limbic system and the later development of prefrontal cortex can result in risky behavior, poor decision making, and weak emotional control for the adolescent. Risk taking can also be positive, such as talking to a new classmate or joining a new club or sport.
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In addition, teens often take more risks than adults because their brain is highly sensitive to dopamine which is involved in reward circuits, so the possible rewards outweighs the risks. The adolescent brain is also affected by oxytocin which facilitates bonding and makes social connections more rewarding.
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With both dopamine and oxytocin engaged, their developing brains are literally telling them to seek social interaction with peers, new opportunities and to take chances. Parents play an important role in providing the boundaries that allow for necessary trial and error and help teens to become resilient, capable young adults.
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Studies on the teenage brain are revealing why adolescence can be such a vulnerable time for anxiety. Researchers believe it may be due to the rapid development of the amygdala, involved in emotional expression, compared to the slower development of the prefrontal cortex and the connections between the two. These connections are essential for controlling emotions, including fear, a core symptom in anxiety disorders.
Recognizing possible triggers and practicing effective coping techniques can help teens deal with stress and anxiety.
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During adolescence, sleep patterns change because of hormonal changes in the brain. Research shows that the levels of the sleep hormone melatonin stay high later at night and drop later in the morning, which may explain why teens may stay up late and struggle with waking up early. Many teens do not get enough sleep which is important for their brain development and overall health.
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| Ongoing changes in the brain can make teens more likely to experience mental health problems such as schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and eating disorders. In fact, 50% of mental illness occurs by the age 14 and 75% occurs by age 24. The pruning process may be one reason the teen brain is so vulnerable to mental health problems. Researchers believe it may uncover any existing genetic or environmental vulnerable circuits.
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Despite the stresses and challenges that come with adolescence, most teens go on to become healthy adults. Some changes in the brain during this critical phase of development actually help support resilience and mental health over the long term.
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ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders. One out of every twenty-one people in Canada has the disorder. Although some children can grow out of ADHD, the majority of children who are diagnosed with ADHD still have it as teens and into adulthood.
Children and youth with ADHD have challenges with regulating their attention (having too much or too little focus). Many children and youth with ADHD also...
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Teens with ADHD face an extra set of challenges as puberty aggravates their symptoms. Higher academics tax their executive functions, and a drive for independence sometimes triggers their impulsivity at the same time they’re facing milestones such as learning to drive, forming romantic relationships or experimenting with substances.
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The frontal lobe development in teens with ADHD lags behind their peers anywhere from 3-5 years. This makes regulating the limbic system, associated with emotion, anxiety, reward, and risky behavior – more difficult. This delayed brain development explains some of the dysregulation and instability in adolescents with ADHD.
Two common comorbidities among teens with ADHD are Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder. These are characterized by antisocial, hostile and adversarial behaviour.
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These disorders may place teens with ADHD, especially impulsive boys, in dangerous situations. If symptoms emerge, quick and effective intervention is imperative. It is also important to note that they can be unfairly labeled with these disorders because their neurological deficits are largely invisible and misunderstood.
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Since executive functioning skills and emotional maturity may lag significantly behind in children with ADHD, parents must carefully consider whether their teens are mature enough to drive. While some teens with ADHD are very careful drivers, others are not ready to manage driving safely. High impulsivity and emotionality may indicate that a teen is not ready for this responsibility.
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To mitigate these challenges teens need continued guidance. However challenging, families need to remain involved, keep the lines of communication open, closely monitor behavior, and set clear limits during this period of their teen’s development.
If the conversations and interventions begin early, and a family’s vigilance remains high, teens with ADHD will grow and launch into remarkable young adults.
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Using the incredible power of the human brain, it doesn't matter in what order the letters in a word are, the only important thing is that the first and last letter be in the right place. The rest can be a total, mess and you can read it without a problem.
There is some science behind why we can read that particular jumbled text. The phenomenon has been given the name "Typoglycaemia," and it works because our brains don't just rely on what they see - they also rely on what we expect to see.
This poster demonstrates the power of our amazing brain!
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FamilySmart -Dr Ross Greene May 4 - Join us for a presentation and Q & A with Dr. Ross Greene as he speaks about how Collaborative and Proactive Solutions can help us show our kids we care about them. Solving problems together creates connection and allows our children to be a part of finding solutions to what is causing their concerning behaviour. Dr. Greene’s work reminds us that things go better for everyone, when we solve problems together and that kids do well if they can.
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The content provided through the Snapshots is for information purposes only. The Snapshots include information that is general in nature and cannot address the many individual child rearing challenges parents and caregivers may experience. Therefore it is the readers’ responsibility to determine the suitability of the information for their specific needs.
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