Navigating the Emotional Rollercoaster: Puberty's Hidden Impacts on the brain

Summary

This project explores the profound changes that occur in the brain during puberty and their effects on emotional regulation and social behavior. Puberty triggers significant hormonal changes, particularly with estrogen and testosterone, leading to the maturation of the prefrontal cortex and increased activity in the limbic system. This results in heightened emotions, impulsivity, and shifts in decision-making processes. The research delves into how neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin influence emotions such as happiness, anger, and sadness. During puberty, the imbalance of these neurotransmitters, combined with the slow maturation of the prefrontal cortex and the early development of the amygdala, leads to intense emotional experiences and challenges in emotional regulation. The study also highlights gender differences in brain connectivity during puberty, with boys showing increased connectivity and girls experiencing decreased connectivity, which may contribute to higher rates of emotional issues in females. The project emphasizes the need for further research to better understand these developmental processes and to develop effective interventions to support adolescents in managing their emotions during this critical period.

Video Presentation

Impact Statement

Hi, I am Shravani Wani, I am a freshman and I find the science behind emotions a very interesting topic because I want a career in biology or psychology. I applied to Elio Academy of Biomedical Science to mainly meet professionals in the fields and was looking forward to working with people. Every class was very well planned. I really enjoyed writing a report on my topic add working with the amazing people in my group. I hope to write and publish a thorough research paper on this topic. Thank you to Elio Academy for giving me this opportunity.

Report White Paper

(Click to view the full report)

_By: Shravani Sagar Wani_

The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Elio Academy.

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