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The Anatomical, Hormonal and Neurochemical Changes that Occur During Brain Development in Adolescents and Young Adults

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Health Care Transition

Abstract

Adolescent development used to be regarded as determined solely by changes in pubertal hormones and social expectations occurring in an unchanging brain. However, over the last 15 years, it has been recognised that the adolescent brain changes anatomically in fundamental ways, as striking as the changes over the first few years of life. Also the period of adolescent brain change lasts longer than that of puberty; adolescent brain maturation extends from 11 to 25 years of age.

New imaging techniques show unequivocal changes in the white and grey matter which take place between 11 and 25 years of age. There is increased connectivity between brain regions and increased dopaminergic activity in the prefrontal cortices, the basal ganglia and limbic system and the pathways linking them. The brain is dynamic, with some areas developing faster and becoming more dominant until other areas catch up. In this chapter we describe new knowledge about changes in brain morphology, pubertal hormones and neurochemistry during adolescence. In the next chapter, we link these changes to some of the behavioural manifestations of adolescence.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK

    Allan Colver M.A., M.D., M.B.B.S.

  2. Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, North Shields, UK

    Gail Dovey-Pearce D.Clin.Psych.

Authors
  1. Allan Colver M.A., M.D., M.B.B.S.
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  2. Gail Dovey-Pearce D.Clin.Psych.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Allan Colver M.A., M.D., M.B.B.S. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Associate Professor, Director of Research, Section of Adolescent Medicine and Sports Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA

    Albert C. Hergenroeder

  2. Professor, Chief of Adolescent Medicine, Section of Adolescent Medicine and Sports Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA

    Constance M. Wiemann

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Colver, A., Dovey-Pearce, G. (2018). The Anatomical, Hormonal and Neurochemical Changes that Occur During Brain Development in Adolescents and Young Adults. In: Hergenroeder, A., Wiemann, C. (eds) Health Care Transition. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72868-1_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72868-1_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-72867-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-72868-1

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