Brain Development: Emerging Adulthood

Author

Synopsis

In this activity, you will see animations and illustrations of the changes that occur in the brain during the emerging adult years between ages 18 and 25. The relationship between these biological changes and behavior in this life stage will also be explored.

The emerging adulthood years from ages 18 to 25 is a time of excellent health, strength, stamina, and psychological well-being. All bodily systems, including the brain, function at an optimal level. However, during this period, there are some signs of a gradual physical decline due to age, and this degeneration is called senescence.

Play the animation and view changes in the gyri and sulci that occur early in adulthood.

The rate of gray matter loss varies greatly across different areas of the brain. For example, the degeneration may occur in the frontal lobes beginning in a person’s early 20s, but the loss may not appear in the temporal lobes until after a person is in his/her 30s.

Play the animation and view the thinning of gray matter that begins in early adulthood.

You learned in an earlier activity that “the adolescent brain is a brain in flux...” (Spear, 2000, p. 238). During adolescence, synaptic rearrangement and myelination in the cerebral cortex are particularly evident in the frontal lobes that control deliberate actions and systematic thought. At the same time, there is a corresponding decrease in activity in the limbic system (within the frontal lobes), which may help to explain a gradual reduction in emotional behavior.

This shift in the balance between automatic (emotional) control and deliberate (intelligent) control extends from adolescence through emerging adulthood and beyond.

Play the animation and view the shift in the balance of activity between the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex that begins in adolescence.

Researchers have documented changes in the brain during emerging adulthood, such as increased myelination, synaptic reduction, and rearrangement in the frontal lobes. It is likely that these changes help support a style of thought that is more practical and flexible than that of adolescence.

It is also true that young adults have much greater experience solving problems in a variety of contexts. People are more likely to make thoughtful decisions when they have encountered similar situations in the past, and they know how to avoid making hasty decisions. These mental changes are both a cause and a consequence of brain development during emerging adulthood.

Congratulations! You have completed this activity.Total Score: x out of x points (x%) You have received a provisional score for your essay answers, which have been submitted to your instructor.