Internal, Environmental Triggers May Explain Teenage Behavior
University of Pittsburgh researchers say they have taken a significant step toward unraveling the brain activity that drives adolescents to engage in impulsive, self-indulgent, or self-destructive behavior. Published in the current edition of Behavioral Neuroscience, the study demonstrates that adolescent brains are more sensitive to internal and environmental factors than adult brains and suggests that the teenage tendency to experiment with drugs and develop psychological disorders could stem from this susceptibility. Although the exact mechanics of the adolescent brain's reaction need further investigation, the current study may be a good starting point for mapping the neural path from stimuli to behavior in the adolescent brain. read more