4 Troubled Teens Blog

A study from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, found that teens whose brains mature more quickly than the average are more likely to take risks.

• Dr. Gregory Berns performed a new form of brain scan called diffusion tensor imaging on 91 people ages 12 to 18 years old.
  
• He also asked them about their risk-taking, including whether they drive without a license, practice unprotected sex, or use drugs.
  
• The ones who took the most risks tended to have more mature white matter in their brains.

Adolescents who engage in risky behaviors obtain more experience in a variety of domains," Dr. Berns wrote in his report. "Their more conservative peers, in contrast, do not have as much life experience and therefore might be expected to have more mature brains.

However, this was proven untrue. In other words, having a more mature brain may make some adolescents more likely to seek out new (and potentially dangerous) experiences.

Labels: research, brain_chemistry, risky_behaviors

Posted By: Aspen/CRC