Video Questions: Inside the Teenage Brain



Video Questions: Inside the Teenage Brain

Frontline: PBS

1. Parents may feel that for a brief period of time that their teenager is inhabited by…..?

Invaded by another brain

2. a) When are parents ‘thrown for a loop’?

When kids get to be adolescents

b) What do parents need to recognize?

It is just a phase of child development

3. When will the period of rapid brain growth occur again for baby Natalie?

Adolescence

4. What is the transition of entering puberty analogous to?

To being a baby – undergoing fairly substantial changes in brain development at a very rapid pace

5. What does Dr Jay Giedd investigate?

The structure of the teenage brain

6. a) What unexpected discovery was found just behind the frontal cortex?

A growth spurt, an overproduction of cells

b) When does it occur?

Just before puberty

7. What brain function is associated with gray matter?

The thinking part

8. What did most people mistakenly believe about brain development?

That little change occurred after age 3

9. At what age has the brain reached 95% of its development?

6 years old

10. Explain what the brain grows like?

A tree – it begins with a lot of growth and then the unused branches are pruned – these are unused pathways die off

11. It is the skills that Charlie learns and practices that will develop parts of his brain and not others. True or False?

True

12. Explain the “use it or lose it” principle in relation to brain development

Cells & connections that are used will survive & flourish; ones not used will die. Behaviors will be hard-wired in the brain.

13. Where is the pre-frontal cortex located in the brain?

Behind the forehead

14. Describe what the pre-frontal cortex is in charge of (ie. what it does)

Planning behavior, problem-solving, use of strategies, organizing, understanding consequences

15. Explain ‘cognitive flexibility’

Being able to change your mind; how you solve problems.

16. Where in the brain does the change occur that helps teens to regulate their emotions, solve problems effectively, and be more planful in behavior?

Frontal cortex

17. In the study conducted at McLean hospital, how did teen brains compare to adult brains? (ie. describe the differences)

Teenagers were not able to read emotions of adults correctly; teenagers misread what adult were feeling and based their behavior on they believed the adults were feeling instead of the actual emotions the adults were feeling

18. What do the results of the McLean hospital study suggest about teen brains?

Adults use the pre-frontal part of the brain whereas teenagers use the emotional region of the brain

19. Based on the findings from the McLean study, explain why miscommunication between teens & adults might occur?

Because teens are using the “gut-response” part of their brain instead of the pre-frontal cortex

20. Explain why teens read emotions differently than adults

Miscommunication between actual emotion and perceived emotion

21. How much sleep does an average teen get?

Seven and an half hours

22. What is the optimal amount of sleep that a teenager needs?

Nine and a quarter hours

23. What is the concern about teens with regards to their sleep patterns?

Increasing amount of sleep debt

24. Describe three things that lack of sleep affects in teens

Mood; Ability to think, Ability to perform and react appropriately

25. What does your brain do while sleeping after learning a new skill?

The some part of your brain that was working while learning a new skill continues to rehearse and practice while asleep. The brain consolidates and improves on what it has learned

26. How much did Charlie & Nicole improve on the ball and cup task?

6% & 11%

27. How much did Charlie & Nicole improve on the mirror task?

44% & -10%

28. Explain why Nicole performed better on the tests

Nicole got more than twice as much REM sleep

29. What is the significance of the sleep study?

The more sleep a teen gets, the better they are at learning

30. Name 3 benefits of a late school start time

More alert, more engaged as learning, attendance increased

31. Describe the downside to late school start times

Afterschool programs- no time & limit the number of kids who can be involved

32. What makes the biggest difference in a teen’s life?

Relationships & connections with other people & time spent with parents

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