title: Cognitive control in adolescence: neural underpinnings and relation to self-report behaviors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adolescence is commonly characterized by impulsivity, poor decision-making, and lack of foresight. However, the developmental neural underpinnings of these characteristics are not well established.
  
  
  RESULTS
  To test the hypothesis that these adolescent behaviors are linked to under-developed proactive control mechanisms, the present study employed a hybrid block/event-related functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Stroop paradigm combined with self-report questionnaires in a large sample of adolescents and adults, ranging in age from 14 to 25. Compared to adults, adolescents under-activated a set of brain regions implicated in proactive top-down control across task blocks comprised of difficult and easy trials. Moreover, the magnitude of lateral prefrontal activity in adolescents predicted self-report measures of impulse control, foresight, and resistance to peer pressure. Consistent with reactive compensatory mechanisms to reduced proactive control, older adolescents exhibited elevated transient activity in regions implicated in response-related interference resolution.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Collectively, these results suggest that maturation of cognitive control may be partly mediated by earlier development of neural systems supporting reactive control and delayed development of systems supporting proactive control. Importantly, the development of these mechanisms is associated with cognitive control in real-life behaviors.
authors: The Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America. Jessica.Andrews-Hanna@colorado.edu
authors: Jessica R
authors: JR
authors: Andrews-Hanna
authors: Kristen L
authors: KL
authors: Mackiewicz Seghete
authors: Eric D
authors: ED
authors: Claus
authors: Gregory C
authors: GC
authors: Burgess
authors: Luka
authors: L
authors: Ruzic
authors: Marie T
authors: MT
authors: Banich
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult