Teenage Brains Still Under Construction

According to the passage, what is one way scientists have searched for the causes of mental illness?

• By studying the development of the brain from birth to adulthood

• By studying only adult brains

• By ignoring brain development

• By focusing only on behavior

Fill in the blank: Powerful new technologies have enabled scientists to track the growth of the brain and to investigate the connections between brain function, development, and _______.

• behavior

• weather

• architecture

• gravity

What surprising discovery did research reveal about the timing of brain maturation?

• The brain matures by age 10

• The brain doesn’t look like that of an adult until the early 20s

• The brain never matures

• The brain matures at birth

Three factors mentioned in the passage that shape adolescent behavior are:

• Family, peers, and media

• Weather, diet, and exercise

• Technology, sports, and travel

• Language, music, and fashion

Fill in the blank: The cortex is where the processes of _______ and memory are based.

• thought

• digestion

• respiration

• movement

According to the passage, at what age does the brain begin to resemble that of an adult in terms of the volume of gray matter?

• Early childhood

• Adolescence

• Early 20s

• Late 30s

Which parts of the brain are among the last to mature, according to the passage?

• Those involved in processing information from the senses

• Those responsible for 'top-down' control, controlling impulses, and planning ahead

• Those involved in controlling movement

• Those responsible for memory only

According to the passage 'A Spectrum of Change', what increases throughout childhood and well into adulthood, shaping how well different parts of the brain work in tandem?

• Connections between different parts of the brain

• The number of brain cells

• The size of the skull

• The amount of sleep required

According to the passage, what is a powerful contributor to irritability and depression in adolescents?

• Inadequate sleep

• Excessive exercise

• Healthy eating habits

• Frequent socializing

Research suggests that adolescence brings with it brain-based changes in the regulation of sleep that may contribute to teens’ tendency to stay up late at night.

• True

• False