Barkley-Levenson Background

• brain development


  children's brains develop very quickly during the first few years of life, by the time they are 6, their brains are already about 90% of adult size, however it has not fully developed and cannot function as an adult brain until mid 20s
• synaptic pruning


  unused connections in grey matter are 'pruned' away in order to be more efficient and take in more info, helps brain transition from childhood, starts at the back of the brain, the front part of the brain (prefrontal cortex) is developed last in early adulthood
• prefrontal cortex


  decision making part of the brain, responsible for making decisions, planning, ability to think about consequences and control impulses, not fully developed in adolescents
• amygdala

  since the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed, adolescents rely on their amygdala, which is associated with emotions, impulses, aggression and instinctive behaviour, therefore adolescents are guided by emotions rather than logics, causing them to make more risky decisions
• ventral striatum


  associated with rewards, encourages adolescents to engage in adult activities for the rewards, e.g drinking, and since the prefrontal cortex has not fully developed, adolescents do not understand the risks