It is thought that this pruning process makes the brain more efficient by strengthening the connections that are used most often, and eliminating the clutter of those that are not used at all. What is most surprising is that you get a second wave of overproduction of gray matter, something that was thought to happen only in the first 18 months of life (Begley, 2000).' Following the overproduction of gray matter, the brain undergoes a process called 'pruning' where connections among neurons in the brain that are not used wither away, while those that are used stay - the 'use it or lose it' principle. Jay Giedd of the NIMH has reported that brain 'maturation does not stop at age 10, but continues into the teen years and even into the 20's. The brain is still developing during the teen yearsĭr. This may help to explain certain teenage behavior that adults can find mystifying, such as poor decision-making, recklessness, and emotional outbursts. New findings show that the greatest changes to the parts of the brain that are responsible for functions such as self-control, judgment, emotions, and organization occur between puberty and adulthood. Until recently most scientists believed that the major 'wiring' of the brain was completed by as early as three years of age and that the brain was fully mature by the age of 10 or 12.

Recent research by scientists at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has found that the teen brain is not a finished product, but is a work in progress. Research now supports what parents have long suspected - that the teenager's brain is different than the adult brain. Adolescent Brain Development Adolescent Brain Development Research Facts and Findings, May 2002Ī publication of the ACT for Youth Center of Excellence

When does the brain stop developing