The Teen Brain: It's Just Not Grown Up Yet

Frances Jensen is an expert on adolescent brain development

• True 
• False

Scientists know that human brain development is complete, or close to it, by age 10.

• True
• False

The function of the frontal lobe is to ask questions like... 

• How do I locate a geographical area?
• Is this a good idea?
• How can I improve my grade point average?

Teenagers have a frontal lobe; however, they're going to access it more slowly.

• True
• False

The nerve cells that connect teenagers' frontal lobes with the rest of their brain move 

• Sluggishly 
• Rapidly

Teenagers don't have as much of a fatty coating, or "white matter," called _________ as an adult brain.

• mylar
• meniscus
• myelin
• mucus

Spotty or thin myelin leads to inefficient communication between one part of the brain and another. 

• true
• false

Neural insulation, or having completely connected frontal lobe, occurs at approximately what age?

• mid-tenns
• mid-20s
• mid-30s
• never

Although teens have thin myelin, they are capable of thinking about the effects of their behavior on themselves and others.

• True
• False

To have insight requires a fully connected frontal lobe.

• True
• False