Brain Research Sheds Light on Teen Activities
Video Games and Watching TV Unhealthy for the Prefrontal Cortex
Oct 31, 2009
Dr. Jay Giedd at the National Institute of Mental Health and researchers at McGill University conducted brain research on the prefrontal cortex region of the teen brain using MRI scans. The surprising results show that the frontal region of the cortex undergoes changes in the teen years that are similar to brain growth during the first three years of life.
Because the prefrontal cortex is in a crucial stage of development, some neural scientists warn that specific types of teen activities can make a huge difference in how the brain is wired for life. Video games and TV watching may be fun for teens, but these activities may not be stimulating the brain for lifelong learning and success.
What is the Prefrontal Cortex?
The cortex is the outer layer of the brain. The prefrontal lobe of the cortex is directly behind the forehead and is often called the “thinking brain” and also referred as the prefrontal cortex. This is the brain region responsible for high level functioning skills such as problem solving, mediating conflicts, judging outcomes and controlling impulses.
Growth of the Prefrontal Cortex During Infancy
The human brain has a huge growth spurt during the first year of life. A baby’s brain rapidly produces neurons as well as connections between neurons. The neurons and pathways that get used again and again strengthen and get hardwired into the brain’s network. After the initial burst of growth, some neurons and pathways do not get used consistently. These unused cells and connections wither away and are not permanently imprinted or hardwired into the brain. By age three, the human brain has chosen which cells from the baby’s growth spurt to keep and which cells to prune.
Brain Research on the Prefrontal Cortex During Adolescence
By using MRI scans to conduct brain research on teens, scientists have learned that the brain has a second rapid growth spurt prior to the onset of puberty. Around age 11 for girls and age 12 for boys, the brain rapidly produces neurons and connections as it did in infancy. In the years following the growth spurt, the teen brain again hardwires pathways that are used on a consistent basis. The neural pathways not frequently used wither away. This “pruning” of the brain connections is often described as the “use it or lose it” principle.
Teen Activities and the Prefrontal Cortex
Dr. Giedd believes that his brain research points to a logical conclusion. If the teen brain is deciding which neural pathways to keep and which neural pathways aren’t needed, then the types of teen activities that adolescents chose or engage in basically make the decision for the brain. If teens are watching TV and playing video games, then the brain pathways enhanced by doing these activities will be the ones imprinted and hardwired into the teen brain.
What Teen Activities are Good for the Brain?
According to Dr. Giedd’s brain research, the best teen activities for the brain are those that involve physical activity, academics and the arts. But many teens spend hours in front of a computer screen, playing video games and watching TV instead of engaging in activities that would stimulate different brain pathways for lifelong learning, enjoyment of the arts and the enjoyment of physical activity.
In his web video lecture on the teen brain, Dr. Giedd shows brain research images and presents a good case for why parents would do teens a favor by encouraging endeavors in sports, music, visual arts, creative writing, dance and drama. An argument could be made that some types of media are more brain friendly than others. If teens are watching TV shows such as American Idol and America’s Got Talent, adolescents may be inspired to pursue artsy activities. Video games such as “Rock Band” and “Dance, Dance Revolution”, ones that offer a taste of the arts might be a small step towards healthy brain connections for teens.
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