Development of the Nervous System During Adolescence.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of adolescent nervous system development without systematic search methods or primary data.
PubMed 41917627 · doi:10.1007/978-981-95-7000-3_5
What was done
This narrative review summarizes structural and functional changes in the nervous system during adolescence, focusing on neurobiological processes (such as synaptic pruning, myelination, and prefrontal cortex development) and how environmental and social factors interact with neural remodeling to influence cognition and behavior.
What was found
The abstract provides a qualitative summary and reports no empirical numbers or quantitative statistical findings. It describes adolescent nervous system development as a phase of neural remodeling and connectivity strengthening rather than neuronal proliferation. Key reported processes include synaptic pruning, increased myelination, prefrontal cortex maturation, limbic system alterations, neurotransmitter fluctuations, and neuroplasticity. These changes correlate with shifts in executive function (such as set-shifting, goal planning, and impulse inhibition) and behavioral changes, including elevated sensation seeking, altered emotion regulation, and heightened vulnerability to environmental exposures such as peer influence, stress, and substance use.
Why it matters
It provides a broad overview of how structural and functional brain remodeling during adolescence underpins characteristic cognitive and behavioral changes. This synthesis emphasizes the ongoing neuroplasticity of the adolescent brain and its heightened sensitivity to environmental inputs.
Limits
The paper is a broad narrative review without primary data, systematic search criteria, or quantitative synthesis. The abstract reports no empirical sample sizes, comparative effect estimates, or statistical data. It does not evaluate variations across specific demographic subgroups or distinct developmental timing.
Cited by
- supports Synaptic pruning and myelination continue through adolescence until approximately age 25 to establish adult neural circuitry.