Brain maturing in adolescence leads to risk-taking behavior.

1. Brain maturation and risk behavior
among young drivers
International Traffic Medicine Association
AD Den Haag 26-29 April, 2009
Dagfinn Moe SINTEF
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2. Two girls, 18 years old, are on their way to
school ca 0815 am in a Golf 1990 model
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3. Four young people (4) were killed and one (1) seriously injured in
a head on accident between a Golf 1990 model and a heavy vehicle
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4. The understanding of driving behavior
”inter- and multidisciplinarity”
R&D R&D
Driver Behavior Brain and Behavior
Neurobiology
•Accident analysis
Maturation- development
•Behavioral studies
Learning-memory systems
•Psychological testing
•Surveys
fMRI-neuroimaging
•Interviews
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5. Prof. Jay Giedd
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6. Technology and Society 6

7. Adolescent brain development can
be divided into four processes:
(Giedd-2006, Steinberg-2008, Toga-2006)
Proliferation
Rapid growth of brain matter and the formation of
new connections within the brain
Pruning
Cutting away of unused or unimportant connections
Myelination
Insulating of brain pathways and connections
to make them faster and more stable
Remodeling of the dopaminergic system
There is a redistribution
of dopamine concentration around puberty
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8. Brain maturation 5 – 20 year
Gogtay, Giedd, et al. (2004) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
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9. Motor
cortex,
muscle
activation
Sensory cortex,
Space
Association
”CEO”
Chief Executive Officer
Auditory, Vision
vestibular
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10. THE LIMBIC SYSTEM
•Learning
•Memory
•Emotion
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11. A social neuoroscience perspective
on adolescent risk-taking
(L. Steinberg, Temple University, Philadelphia-2008)
Puberty Remodelling
(oxytocin-friends) (dopamin-reward)
Cognitive control functions
”prefrontal cortex”
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13. Rate of Maturation
limbic/amygdala
prefrontal cortex
adolescent
Galvan et al 2006 Developmental Science
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14. Conclusions about Frontal Lobe Immaturity
1. Poor judgment and difficulty thinking through consequences of behavior
2. Impulsive and emotional responses rather than logical and practical ones
3. Miscommunication with peers and adults—they miss subtle social cues,
misinterpret expectations, and misread facial expressions.
4. Increased risk-taking; inappropriate actions not as inhibited as in adults
Adolescence is generally a period of increased impulsivity
and risk-taking behaviour, but some teens might be
especially prone to engage in such behaviours.
Galvan et al. (2007)
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15. I think neuroscience can contribute to a more complete
understanding of young drivers behavior
Thank you for your attention!
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