title: [Adolescent brain maturation].
abstract: Recent progress in neuroscience has yielded major findings regarding brain maturation during adolescence. Unlike the body, which reaches adult size and morphology during this period, the adolescent brain is still maturing. The prefrontal cortex appears to be an important locus of maturational change subserving executive functions that may regulate emotional and motivational issues. The recent expansion of the adolescent period has increased the lag between the onset of emotional and motivational changes activated by puberty and the completion of cognitive development-the maturation of self-regulatory capacities and skills that are continuing to develop long after puberty has occurred. This "disconnect" predicts risk for a broad set of behavioral and emotional problems. Adolescence is a critical period for high-level cognitive functions such as socialization that rely on maturation of the prefrontal cortex. Intervention during the period of adolescent brain development provides opportunities and requires an interdisciplinary approach.
authors.affiliation: Service universitaire de psychiatrie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent (Supea), centre thérapeutique de jour pour adolescents (CTJA), 48, avenue de Beaumont, 1012 Lausanne, Suisse.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Holzer
authors.affiliation: Service universitaire de psychiatrie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent (Supea), 23A, rue du Bugnon, 1005 Lausanne, Suisse.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Halfon
authors.affiliation: Service universitaire de psychiatrie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent (Supea), centre thérapeutique de jour pour adolescents (CTJA), 48, avenue de Beaumont, 1012 Lausanne, Suisse.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Thoua
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D006728:Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D023421:Models, Animal
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones