Survey
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THE ADOLESCENT BRAIN PAT MESSERLE, LICENSED CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, M.A., LICENSED SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST DIPLOMATE OF THE AMERICAN BOARD OF SCHOOLNEUROPSYCHOLOGY WHAT IS ADOLESCENCE? ADOLESCENCE HAS NO DISTINCT BOUNDARIES FOR WHEN IT BEGINS AND ENDS IT IS A TRANSITION FROM CHILDHOOD TO ADULTHOOD A PERIOD WHEN ADOLESCENTS AQUIRE THE SKILLS TO SURVIVE INDEPENDENTLY THIS PERIOD OF ADOLESCENCE IS INFLUENCED BY: EVOLUTION, CULTURE, FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES, SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND COGNITIVE FACTORS ADOLESCENCE IS A TIME OF INTENSE FLUX IN ALL DEVELOPMENTAL AREAS IT IS A TIME WHEN EVERYDAY UNHAPPINESS CAN REACHES ITS PEAK WHY ARE TEENS SO OFTEN CONFUSED, ANNOYING, DEMANDING, MOODY, DEFIANT, ANXIOUS AND RECKLESS? IT IS A DEVELOPMENTAL PERIOD WHEN SUBSTANCE USE, ACCIDENTAL DEATHS, EATING DISORDERS, PSYCHOSIS, LOW SELF ESTEEM, DEPRESSION, HOMICIDES AND BINGE DRINKING SPIKE IS IT, “THE TERRIBLE TWOS ALL OVER AGAIN?” ADOLESCENTS ARE ASSERTING THEIR INDEPENDENCE ONE DAY AND NEEDING THEIR PARENTS UNDIVIDED ATTENTION THE NEXT DAY THEIR DEVELOPING BRAIN SAYS EXPLORE, EXPERIMENT, PUSH THE LIMITS, TAKE RISKS, BREAK RULES AND REBEL…….BUT RELY ON YOUR PARENTS FOR SUPPORT AND PROTECTION CONSTANT CHANGES ADOLESCENTS MUST COPE WITH THE CONFUSION OF SEXUAL AND PERSONAL IDENTITY, ROMANTIC FEELINGS, CHANGING BODIES, SOCIAL PRESSURES, THE PUSH TO ACHIEVE, A WORLD IN TURMOIL AND THOSE, “RAGING HORMONES.” WHO AM I AND WHO WILL I BECOME? IS ADOLESCENCE SO HARD? WHILE IT HAS OFTEN BEEN STATED THAT ADOLESCENCE IS THE MOST DIFFICULT DEVELOPMENTAL PERIOD, RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES THAT IT IS NO MORE DIFFICULT THAN ANY OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL PERIOD………. BUT IT IS ROOTED IN UNEVEN AND PROLIFIC BRAIN DEVELOPMENT LEADING TO 40% OF SYNAPSES BEING ELIMINATED AND MORE EFFICIENT NEURONAL COMMUNICATION TAKING THEIR PLACE THE ADOLESCENT BRAIN AND PLASTICITY DURING ADOLESCENCE , THE BRAIN IS HIGHLY PLASTIC, MAKING IT EASILY INFLUENCED BY EXPERIENCES. MORE SO THAN ANY OTHER TIME, EXPERIENCE IS MORE IMPORTANT FOR BRAIN DEVELOPMENT (IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN EARLY CHILDHOOD)–BRAIN CONNECTIONS, 2008 IT IS NOT JUST RAGING HORMONES, THE PREFRONTAL CORTEXT, EXECUTIVE FUCTIONS AND BRAIN CIRCUITRY ARE MATURING (FULLY 20-30) THE MOST PROLIFIC CHANGES ARE IN THE FRONTAL LOBE WHICH MEDIATES THE EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS OF BRAIN: -PROBLEM SOLVING -IMPULSE CONTROL -LOGIC -LANGUAGE -EMOTION REGULATION -VOLUNTARY MOTOR CONTROL -INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS -DECISION MAKING SKILLS -REWARD-SEEKING -MEMORY -ORGANIZATION/PLANNING METACOGNITION LIMBIC CENTER-EMOTIONAL CENTER ALSO IS IMMATURE AND DEVELOPING, ESPECIALLY THE AMYGDALA ALL IMPULSES GO THROUGH THE LIMBIC SYSTEM AND THE AMYGDALA IS CRITICAL FOR EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND EMOTIONAL REGULATION DURING THE MALE TEEN YEARS, THE AMYGDALA IS SWOLLEN AND MAY ACCOUNT FOR MORE AGGRESSIVE TENDENCIES IS IT DONE YET? THE BRAIN IS NOT FULLY COOKED IT IS SAYING, “TAKE RISKS,” BUT-------THE DECISION MAKING, PROBLEM SOLVING AND IMPULSE CONTROL AREAS THAT COUNTERACT THE NATURAL HEIGHTENED IMPULSES ARE JUST DEVELOPING THE ADOLESCENT BRAIN IS BUILT TO SEEK NOVEL EXPERIENCES AND TAKE RISKS BRAIN RESEARCH SHOW THAT THE CAPACITY FOR ABSTRACT REASONING, MEMORY AND FORMAL CAPACITY FOR PLANNING IS FULLY DEVELOPED BY 1516 –SO…….. WHEN ASKED HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT RISKS AND REWARD, ADOLESCENTS OFTEN GIVE THE SAME ANSWERS AS ADULTS BUT….THEIR EMOTIONAL STATE WHEN ANSWERING THESE QUESTION IS NOT USUALLY THE SAME AS WHEN THEY ARE ACTUALLY MAKING THOSE IMPORTANT CHOICES REASONING WHEN COMPARED TO ADULTS, ADOLESCENTS SAY THE WORDS, BUT FIND IT MORE DIFFICULT TO INTERRUPT AN ACTION UNDER WAY (DIVING OFF A CLIFF INTO WATER); TO THINK BEFORE ACTING (IS THIS A SAFE ACT) OR TO EVEN WEIGH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT IS A SAFE OR RISKY ACT, KELLEY et al.,2004 URGES VS. LOGIC ADOLESCENTS HAVE THE CAPACITY TO STATE THE REASONABLE ANSWER, BUT THEN THEY PERFORM THE IMPULSIVE ACT (DRINKING AND DRIVING) THEIR JUDGEMENT CAN BE OVERWHELMED BY THE URGES FOR NEW EXPERIENCES SUCH AS: THRILL SEEKING, SEXUAL AND AGGRESSIVE IMPULSES THESE ARE PRIMAL URGES THAT ARE SOUGHT AFTER BECAUSE THEY PRODUCE STRONG FEELINGS AND SENSATIONS IN THEIR BRAINS DRIVEN BY GROUP PRESSURE RESISTING SOCIAL PRESSURE CAN BE DIFFICULT FOR TEENS MUCH OF THE TROUBLING BEHAVIORS OCCUR IN GROUPS: SUBSTANCE USE, RECKLESS DRIVING, AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORS, SMOKING SOME POSITIVE ONES ALSO OCCUR: MUSIC, HELPING AND CLOTHING TRENDS IT IS IMPORTANT FOR PARENTS TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND KNOW THAT PARENTS STILL ARE THE STRONGEST INFLUENCE IN THEIR TEENS LIVES ADOLESCENT FEMALES HAVE SOMEWHAT ELEVATED LEVELS OF SERATONIN NORMALLY, BUT ADOLESCENTS WITH EATING DISORDERS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO HAVE EVEN MORE ELEVATED LEVELS OF SERATONIN LEADING TO FEELINGS OF ANXIETY AND POORER BODY IMAGES THIS ELEVATED SERATONIN PRODUCES THE NEED FOR PERFECTIONISM AND COMPULSIVENESS IF THEY DO NOT EAT, THEY PRODUCE LESS SERATONIN AND THEREBY; THEY FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEMSELVES, BUT MAY PLACE THEMSELVES AT-RISK FOR THAT EATING DISORDER ADOLESCENT MALES PRODUCTION OF TESTOSTERONE INCREASES 10 TIMES IN TEEN MALES, INFLUENCING SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT GROWTH HORMONES INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY LEADING TO RAPID GROWTH SPURTS COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT MALES HAVE BETTER VISUAL SPATIAL SKILLS, FEMALES BETTER VERBAL SKILLS GEOMETRY MAY GET EASIER AS TEENS MATURE-STUDENTS MAY WANT TO TAKE GEOMETRY LATER IN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL YEARS ANTERIOR CINGULATE GYRUS MATURES AND INCREASES ABILITY TO FOCUS FOR MALES AND FEMALES, ALTHOUGH IF TEENS EXPERIENCE AD-/HD, IT IS A LIFELONG DISORDER BRAIN MATURITY CEREBRAL CORTEX MATURES SUPPORTING INCREASED LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT DUE TO INCREASED ABSTRACT THINKING AND VOCABULARY STIMULATING BRAIN ACTIVITIES SUCH AS: MUSIC, SPORTS, CREATIVE ACTIVITIES, MATH, PROBLEM SOLVING ALL CONTRIBUTE TO HEALTHIER BRAIN DEVELOPMENT THE EXPERIENCES OF EACH ADOLESCENT DETERMINES THE QUALITY OF HIS/HER BRAIN“COACH POTATO VS. STIMULATION” SLEEP IN ADOLESCENCE TOO MANY TIMED DEADLINES ENCOURAGE IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR AND DO LITTLE FOR SLEEP PATTERNS AND FRONTAL LOBE DEVELOPMENT CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS SET REM CYCLES MELATONIN, OLEAMIDE, AMINES AND GLUTOCORTICOIDS MAKES YOU DROWSY AND SETS YOUR SLEEP TIMES IN TEENS IT IS SECRETED LATER AT NIGHT, APPROX. 10:30-11:30, BROWN UNIV. NATIONAL SLEEP FOUNDATION AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK 28% OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FALL ASLEEP IN CLASS 22% FALL ASLEEP DOING HOMEWORK PERIOD OF TIME PRIOR TO BOTH OF THESE, ADOLESCENT IS NOT ALERT DEPRIVATION IS COMBINATION OF NEUROBIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT TEENS AVERAGE 7-7.5 HOURS OF SLEEP A NIGHT WHEN THEY NEED 9-11 HOURS OF SLEEP IN REALITY TEENS NEED MORE SLEEP DUE TO HORMONAL CHANGES AND DEVELOPMENTAL GROWTH MANY ARE SLEEP DEPRIVED BECAUSE OF BRAIN CHEMISTRY COMBINED WITH EARLY SCHOOL STARTS, ELECTRONICS IN THE BEDROOM AND CAFFEINE SLEEP DEPRIVATION CAUSES… DEPRESSION, AGGRESSION AND LACK OF MEMORY CONSOLIDATION, ACCIDENTS, MOOD SWINGS AND LEARNING PROBLEMS POSSIBLE SOLUTION-SCHOOL SHOULD START LATER FOR TEENS-STUDIES COMPARING A 7:30 TO 9:30 START RESULTED IN INCREASED PERFORMANCE, SBSD TAKING ELECTRONICS OUT OF THE BEDROOM CUT OUT CAFFEINE RELATIONSHIPS DURING THE ADOLESCENT YEARS-STAKES ARE VERY HIGH-FEELINGS ARE JUST BEGINNING TO BE LINKED IN THE BRAIN TO RATIONAL THOUGHTS RELATIONSHIPS FOR FEMALES BECOME MORE EMOTIONAL AND INTIMATE AND WHEN WRONGED THEY EXCLUDE EACH OTHER AND GET OTHER PEERS TO DO THEIR DIRTY WORK (MEAN GIRL BEHAVIORS) MALES-EMPHASIS ON INTEREST, ACTIVITIES AND LARGE GROUPS-WHEN WRONGED THEY ARE CONFRONTATIONAL RELATIONSHIP VIOLENCE OFTEN BEGINS IN TEEN YEARS WHEN JEALOUSY IS VIEWED AS DEVOTION IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT-ERICKSON AND MARCIA (REVISED 1987) 1. IDENTITY DIFFUSION:EXPERIMENTAL STAGE, NO CRISIS 2. IDENTITY FORECLOSURE:NO CRISIS, BUT ADOPTED AN IDENTITY THAT HAS BEEN IMPOSED BY OTHERS 3. IDENTITY MORATORIUM:ADOLESCENT EXPERIENCES A CRISIS AND ACTIVELY EXPLORES ALTERNATIVE IDENTITIES. MARKED BY CONFUSION, DISCONTENT, AND REBELLIOUSNESS 4. IDENTITY ACHIEVEMENT: RESOLUTION OF CRISIS AND COMMITTED TO AN IDENTITY, MAY BE PERMANENT OR MAY EVOLVE. NEWER RESEARCH A CRISIS EVERY TEN YEARS OF ADULTHOOD SUBSTANCE USE-MOST ADDICTIONS GET THEIR START IN ADOLESCENCE THE EARLIER THE ADOLESCENT BEGINS USING, THE GREATER THE LENGTH OF THE ADDICTION SMOKING-STRONGEST ADDICTION PATHWAYS IN BRAIN AND MOST FREQUENTLY USED LEGAL DRUG ALCOHOL CONTINUES TO KILL MORE ADOLESCENTS USE OF MANY DRUGS IS ON THE RISE, BUT PERCEPTION OF HARM IS DECREASING ADOLESCENT DRUG TREATMENT DRAMATICALLY RISING TEEN ADDICTION NEWER RESEARCH HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT TEENS MAY BECOME ADDICTED FASTER AND TO LOWER AMOUNTS OF SUBSTANCES BECAUSE TEENS ARE HYPERSENSITIVE TO NOVEL EXPERIENCES, THEY PROCESS REWARD STIMULI DIFFERENTLY WHICH MAY LEAD TO MORE RAPID ADDICTION AT THE NUCLEUS ACCUMBEN SITE Everyone is doing it…………. According to NIDA’s 2010 Monitoring the Future study, about 8 percent of 8th graders, 17 percent of 10th graders, and 21 percent of 12th graders had used marijuana in the month before the survey. In 2010 daily marijuana use increased among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. In 2010, 6 percent of 12th graders reported using marijuana daily NATIONALLY, 50% OF ALL HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS REPORT HAVING SMOKED MARIJUANAKANN ET AL, 2000 OVERALL, VERMONT CONTINUES TO BE THE #1 STATE IN MARIJUANA USE #1 USED ILLICIT DRUG (ALCOHOL IS LEGAL) PARENTS MAY BE RELUCTANT TO DISCUSS MARIJUANA USE BECAUSE OF THEIR OWN EXPERIMENTATION, BUT DRUG IS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE POTENT AND RESEARCH IS NOW LOOKING AT LONG TERM NEGATIVE HEALTH IMPLICATIONS MARIJUANA PROBLEMS PHYSICAL-INCREASED HEART RATE, SUSCEPTIBILITY TO INFECTIONS, FERTILITY, CARDIAC AND RESPIRATORY PROBLEMSBROWN UNIVERSITY-HEALTH EDUCATION IMPAIRED DRIVING DUE TO LACK OF ATTENTION TO DRIVING SKILLS FAT SOLUABLE AND CAN REMAIN IN BRAIN FOR UP TO 3 WEEKS OTHER PROBLEMS CAUSED BY MARIJUANA USE IMPAIRED MEMORY AND ABILITY TO LEARNTHOUGHT TO AFFECT THE HIPPOCAMPUS – TROUBLE ATTENDING, CONSOLIDATION AND INTEGRATION OF COMPLEX INFORMATIONDUKE,SWARTZWELDER-2004 ANXIETY, PARANOIA IMPAIRED MUSCLE COORDINATION AND JUDGEMENT TEEN BRAINS AND ALCOHOL ACCORDING TO THE N.Y. ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, ROUGHLY 80% OF OUR NATION’S ADOLESCENCE HAVE CONSUMED ALCOHOL TEEN BRAINS APPEAR TO HOLD MORE ALCOHOL, BE LESS SEDATE AND WHEN IMPAIRED…………….. THEY DO NOT APPEAR INTOXICATED, WHICH PUT THEM AT-RISK FOR DOING MORE DAMAGE TO THEIR DEVELOPING BRAIN THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON THE TEEN BRAIN MORE LONGLASTING EFFECTS ON BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AND BRAIN FUNCTION LEARNING AND MEMORY IMPAIRMENT-INTERFERS WITH DEVELOPMENT OF NEW MEMORIES, MOST SEVERE BLACKOUT MOTOR COORDINATION IMPAIRMENT (LESS THAN ADULTS) APPEARS TO ALTER NEURAL CIRCUITS DISRUPTS THE FUNCTIONING OF HIPPOCAMPUS KEY BRAIN STRUCTURE FOR LEARNING AND MEMORY COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT BLUNTED FRONTAL LOBE ACTIVITY LEADING TO MORE RISKY AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIORS Brain areas ADOLESCENT RISKS AS PREVIOUSLY STATED, THE TEEN YEARS ARE MARKED BY EGO-CENTRISM AND THOUGHT CONFUSION UNIQUENESS OF YOUR EXPERIENCE LEADS TO A SENSE OF IMMORTALITY AND INVULNERABILITY AND CAN RESULT IN PROBLEMS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: SEXUAL-IDENTITY, EXPERIMENTATION, PROMISCUITY, ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR, TEEN PREGNANCY AND LACK OF MATURITY OTHER RISKS LACK OF SIGNIFICANT PERSON IN THEIR LIFE THE MUCH NEEDED CONNECTION TO PARENTS OR CAREGIVERS MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS INCREASED STRESS WHICH ALSO RETARD THE GROWTH OF THE HIPPOCAMPUS, WHICH CONSOLIDATES MEMORIES RISKS ALCOHOL/DRIVING-LEADING CAUSE OF TEEN DEATH CRIMINAL INVOLVEMENT-IF DO NOT FIT IN WITH THEIR SOCIAL GROUP, TEENS GRAVITATE TO MORE ANTISOCIAL GROUPS SUICIDE (4TH LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN TEENS) DEPRESSION, SELF HARM AND OTHER RISKY HARMFUL BEHAVIORS ADOLESCENCE CAN BE A TIME OF FREEDOM AND EXPLORATION, BUT ALWAYS NEED TO QUESTION IF YOUR DECISOIN MAY CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER LASTLY WHILE BRAIN RESEARCH AND KNOWLEDGE ARE MOVING AT LIGHTNING SPEED, IT HAS A LONG WAY TO GO AN EXAMPLE OF THIS ISTHE SUPREME COURT DECLARED, BY A 5-4 VOTE, THAT 16 AND 17 YEAR OLDS CANNOT BE EXECUTED BECAUSE OF THE IMMATURITY OF ADOLESCENT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT THE MORE RECENT BRAIN RESEARCH CONTRIBUTED TO THAT DECISION AND THERE WILL BE MUCH MORE TO COME REFERENCES HARVARD NEWS LETTER-22-2005 KELLEY et al, 2004 ROSSO, IM et al, 2004 SPESSOT, AL, et al, 2004 STEINBERG, L. 2005 A USER’S GUIDE TO THE BRAIN, RATEY, J., 2001 THE PRIMAL TEEN, STRAUCH, B., 2003 SWARTZWELDER AND WHITE, DUKE UNIV. MEDICAL CENTER KANN ET et al, 2000 JOHNSTON et al, 2001 BROWN UNIVERSITY HEALTH EDUCATION AND CENTER FOR ALCOHOL AND ADDICTION STUDIES NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DRUG ABUSE MONTI, PETER, BROWN UNIVERSITY, 2005