The Teen Brain: Insights From Neuroimaging

Jay N. Giedd
National Institute of Mental Health

Abstract
Few parents of a teenager are surprised to hear that the brain of a 16-year-old is different than the brain of an 8-year-old. Yet to pin down these differences in a rigorous scientific way has been elusive. Magnetic resonance imaging, with the capacity to provide exquisitely accurate quantifications of brain anatomy and physiology without the use of ionizing radiation, has launched a new era of adolescent neuroscience. Longitudinal studies of subjects from ages 3 to 30 years demonstrate a general pattern of childhood peaks of gray matter followed by adolescent declines, functional and structural increases in connectivity and integrative processing, and a changing balance between limbic/subcortical and frontal lobe functions which extends well into young adulthood. Although over interpretation and premature application of neuron-imaging findings for diagnostic purposes remains a risk, converging data from multiple imaging modalities is beginning to elucidate the implications of these brain changes on cognition, emotion, and behavior. In this presentation I will summarize the most recent findings from an ongoing longitudinal brain imaging / neuropsychological / genetic study being conducted at the Child Psychiatry Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health which encompasses over 1,000 MRI scans.

Biography
Jay N. Giedd, M.D. is a practicing child and adolescent psychiatrist and Chief of the Brain Imaging Unit at the Child Psychiatry Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health where he conducts research on the biological basis of cognition, emotion, and behavior. Dr. Giedd has authored over 200 scientific papers or abstracts and is amongst the most highly cited scientists in his field. His work has had an impact in clinical, parenting, educational, and judicial realms. In addition to his academic contributions Dr. Giedd’s work has also been extensively covered by the general media, including the May 10, 2004 cover of TIME magazine and Discover magazine’s top 3 Mind and Brain stories of 2006.