Understanding the Teenage Brain: Pruning, Myelination, and Changing Sleep Patterns

🧠 The teenage brain undergoes two monumental changes: synaptic pruning and myelination.

🌱 Synaptic pruning is the process of cutting away unused synaptic connections in the brain, leading to more specialized knowledge.

💡 As teenagers grow older, their brains become more focused and narrow in their areas of expertise.

🧠 Synaptic pruning increases efficiency in the teenage brain.

⚡️ Myelination speeds up the signal transmission in the adolescent brain.

🧠 Myelination increases the speed of signals in the brain by a hundred times.

👥 The brain consists of gray matter (cortex) and white matter (myelinated axons).

🌱 During teenage life, the brain undergoes synaptic pruning and myelination.

😩 As the brain develops from back to front, the prefrontal cortex, responsible for executive functioning, is the last part to mature.

🧠 The limbic system, responsible for emotions, develops before the rational part of the brain.

💚 The amygdala, located in the limbic system, is the center of emotion and alerts us to danger.

🤔 The prefrontal cortex is the rational part of the brain and is involved in thoughtful decision-making.

🧠 The teenage brain undergoes synaptic pruning and myelination, leading to changes in impulse control and emotional regulation.

🎲 Teenagers are more prone to risk-taking behavior due to the high levels of dopamine in their brain, which influences decision-making.

📱 The release of dopamine is more intense in adolescents when engaging with social media, influencing their behavior and motivation to repeat certain actions.

🧪 Dopamine surge in the teenage brain drives risk-taking behaviors.

🚗 Teenagers are at the highest risk of car crashes due to the rewarding nature of risky activities.

👥 Peers have a significant influence on teenagers' risk-taking behavior.

⏰ The circadian rhythm is the internal biological clock that controls our sleep-wake cycles.

🌙 Melatonin, released by the pineal gland, regulates sleep and is released at different times in children and teenagers.

😴 Teenagers experience a shift in their circadian rhythm, leading to a delay in melatonin release, which contributes to sleep deprivation and moodiness.