Structural and functional changes in the prefrontal lobes of the adolescent brain: Implications for executive function

Abstract

Adolescence is a period of life when profound behavioural and physical changes occur. However, the notion that the brain also undergoes significant changes during this time period is fairly recent, and has arisen due to advances that now make it possible to use (f)MRI and similar imaging techniques in order to track the functioning of specific brain structures. These technical developments have made it possible to safely observe developmental brain changes in children and adolescents. The results of these studies clearly show that the brain matures well into young adulthood. The present article is a review of literature on both structural and functional developmental changes in the prefrontal lobes of the adolescent brain. These studies suggest that the brain areas that are responsible the higher cognitive abilities—which are collectively referred to as the "executive function" are not fully developed in adolescents’ brains. Specific components of executive function include response inhibition, working memory and prospective memory. Because executive function plays a major role in decision-making processes, these findings may have serious implications for the appropriate organization of educational systems in which adolescents participate. Some of these implications for educational practice will be discussed in an accompanying article by Pama (2010) in this issue.