Risky teen behavior linked to mature brain: Study
POSTED August 28, 2009 - 12:09 | POSTED BY Neharika Sabharwal
Last edited by Sham Kamboj on August 28, 2009 - 12:52
With this research, the long standing belief that youngsters indulge in tumultuous behavior because the frontal white matter tract of their brains, that control executive functioning, does not mature until the mid-20’s needs to be revised.
Study on risk-taking and brain development
Neuroscientists from Emory University and the Emory University School of Medicine, used a form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to understand the co-relation between risky behavior and brain development.
Over a period of three years, the researchers assessed the brains of 91 adolescents from 12-18 years in two ways. They first grilled the subjects on series of questions to gauge their engagement in dangerous, rebellious and reckless behaviors.
Secondly, the scientists used the DTI technology to assess the white matter in the frontal cortex of the participant’s brains.
Gray matter of the brain is made up of neurons, while the white matter connects neurons to each other and becomes denser and more organized as the brain matures. Both are vital for understanding the functioning of the brain.
Dr Gregory Berns, M.D, Ph.D., principal investigator and professor of Psychiatry and Neuroeconomics at Emory University in Atlanta stated, "In the past, studies have focused on the patterns of gray matter density from childhood to early adulthood.
"With new technology, we were able to develop the first study looking at how development of white mater relates to activities in the real world.”
Findings of the study
The researchers found that teens exhibiting impulsive behaviors have more mature-looking white matter than their sedate peers.
"We were surprised to discover that risk-taking was associated with more highly-developed white matter – a more mature brain," said Gregory Berns.
The study also demonstrated that both girls and boys attained the maturity level at the same rate, refuting the belief that females grew mentally faster than their male counterparts.
"We were also surprised to learn that except for slightly higher scores in risk-taking, there was no significant difference in the maturity of the white matter between males and females," stated Berns.
Berns declared there was a need for more research to determine if early brain development influences dangerous behaviors, or whether a mature brain is the outcome of a perilous lifestyle.
The findings of the study have been published in the journal PLoS ONE.
