part of thebrain that helps keep eyes focused on one thing

The brain reaches its largest size in the early teen years, but continues to mature well into the 20s.Īs you learn about brain development during adolescence, consider these six facts from the The National Institute of Mental Health: Your brain does not keep getting bigger as you get olderįor girls, the brain reaches its largest physical size around 11 years old and for boys, the brain reaches its largest physical size around age 14. Some of the most developmentally significant changes in t he brain occur in the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in decision making and cognitive control, as well as other higher cognitive functions. During adolescence, myelination and synaptic pruning in the prefrontal cortex increase s, improving the efficiency of information processing, and neural connections between the prefrontal cortex and other regions of the brain are strengthened. However, this growth takes time and the growth is uneven.įigure 1. Up until puberty, brain cells continue to bloom in the frontal region.

The biggest changes in the folds of the brain during this time occur in the parts of the cortex that process cognitive and emotional information. However, the creases in the brain continue to become more complex until the late teens. Thus, the brain does not grow in size much during adolescence. The brain reaches 90% of its adult size by the time a person is six or seven years of age.

Between the ages of 10 and 25, the brain undergoes changes that have important implications for behavior. The human brain is not fully developed by the time a person reaches puberty.

Describe brain development during adolescence.

Part of thebrain that helps keep eyes focused on one thing