Brain Emotion Circuit Sparks As Teen Girls Size Up Peers
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 - 07:28
in Psychology & Sociology
What is going on in teenagers' brains as their drive for peer approval begins to eclipse their family affiliations? Brain scans of teens sizing each other up reveal an emotion circuit activating more in girls as they grow older, but not in boys. The study shows how emotion circuitry diverges in the male and female brain during a developmental stage in which girls are at increased risk for developing mood and anxiety disorders.