Adolescent Brain Development

It used to be thought that brain development took place in early childhood. Now we know that the brain continues to develop throughout adolescence and into our 20s and 30s. Teenagers may seem more impulsive and less self-aware than grown-ups.

In this TED talk, Cognitive neuroscientist Sarah-Jayne Blakemore compares the prefrontal cortex in adolescents to that of adults, to show us how “teenage” behaviour is linked to changes in the growing and developing brain.