Risky behavior in adolescents: The role of the developing brain.

Author(s):  
Adriana Galván
2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (12) ◽  
pp. eaat3702 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. L. Johnson ◽  
L. Tang ◽  
Q. Yin ◽  
E. Asano ◽  
N. Ofen

Prevailing theories link prefrontal cortex (PFC) maturation to the development of declarative memory. However, the precise spatiotemporal correlates of memory formation in the developing brain are not known. We provide rare intracranial evidence that the spatiotemporal propagation of frontal activity supports memory formation in children. Seventeen subjects (6.2 to 19.4 years) studied visual scenes in preparation for a recognition memory test while undergoing direct cortical monitoring. Earlier PFC activity predicted greater accuracy, and subsecond deviations in activity flow between subregions predicted memory formation. Activity flow between inferior and precentral sites was refined during adolescence, partially explaining gains in memory. In contrast, middle frontal activity predicted memory independent of age. These findings show with subsecond temporal precision that the developing PFC links scene perception and memory formation and underscore the role of the PFC in supporting memory development.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Zhang ◽  
Haiping Wang ◽  
Mei Xu ◽  
Jacqueline A. Frank ◽  
Jia Luo
Keyword(s):  

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guorong Tao ◽  
Qingsheng Xue ◽  
Yan Luo ◽  
Guohui Li ◽  
Yimeng Xia ◽  
...  

Demand is increasing for safer inhalational anesthetics for use in pediatric anesthesia. In this regard, researchers have debated whether isoflurane is more toxic to the developing brain than desflurane. In the present study, we compared the effects of postnatal exposure to isoflurane with those of desflurane on long-term cognitive performance and investigated the role of the Akt/GSK3βsignaling pathway. Postnatal day 6 (P6) mice were exposed to either isoflurane or desflurane, after which the phosphorylation levels of Akt/GSK3βand learning and memory were assessed at P8 or P31. The phosphorylation levels of Akt/GSK3βand learning and memory were examined after intervention with lithium. We found that isoflurane, but not desflurane, impaired spatial learning and memory at P31. Accompanied by behavioral change, only isoflurane decreased p-Akt (ser473) and p-GSK3β(ser9) expressions, which led to GSK3βoveractivation. Lithium prevented GSK3βoveractivation and alleviated isoflurane-induced cognitive deficits. These results suggest that isoflurane is more likely to induce developmental neurotoxicity than desflurane in context of multiple exposures and that the Akt/GSK3βsignaling pathway partly participates in this process. GSK3βinhibition might be an effective way to protect against developmental neurotoxicity.


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