The prefrontal cortex, located at the front of the brain, is crucial for decision-making, planning, and social judgment. Studies suggest that it undergoes significant changes during adolescence, explaining reckless behaviors in teenagers due to evolving neural pathways. Damage to the prefrontal cortex can lead to drastic personality changes and impairments in ethical judgment and emotional regulation.

1. The Prefontal Cortex
By Celia Bottger

2. Where is the pre-frontal cortex
located?
The pre-frontal cortex is located in the very front of the brain,
just behind the forehead.

3. Function of the Pre-Frontal
Cortex
Regulates thought in terms of short-term and long-term decision making.
Allows humans to plan ahead and create strategies, as well as to adjust actions and
reactions to various situations.
Allows humans to pull together disparate but related strands of thought when learning or
evaluating complex concepts or tasks.
Houses active, working memory
Social judgements are made here
Helps to focus thoughts
Allows humans to pay attention, learn, and concentrate on goals.

4. PFC: Study
A group of researchers published a study in January of 2014 that claims reckless teenage behavior
can be explained by the rapid changing of neural pathways in the prefrontal cortex during
adolescence.
Using tools such as fMRIs and PET scans, these scientists found that until the mid-20s, the
prefrontal cortex is still rapidly changing, as are the neurons that link the cortex to parts of the
brain associated with impulsivity.
When people are 15-16 years old, many old brain cells are replaced with new ones, and new neural
pathways are established among them. Many of the basic cognitive abilities associated with the
PFC (complex reasoning, abstract thinking, self-consciousness) rapidly expand at this time as well.
Researchers found that when teenagers are around other people, dopamine-containing neurons in
the PFC create a hormonal spike that cause teens to be more reckless and risky in the behaviors.
Read more here: http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/sep/05/teenage-brain-behaviour-
prefrontal-cortex

5. What happens when the PFC is
damaged?
The PFC is one of the most susceptible parts of the brain to damage.
If the PFC is damaged in some way, personality can change drastically. For example, someone who
had been outgoing can become quiet and withdrawn after suffering injury to their pre-frontal
cortex.
Damage to the PFC can negatively impact someone’s ability to assess situations or perform tasks,
especially if they have a moral or ethical aspect to them.
People with damaged PFCs can be unable to discern appropriate behavior or suffer from
emotional distress, such as paranoia, anxiety, euphoria, and irritability.

6. What happens when the PFC is
damaged?
The PFC is one of the most susceptible parts of the brain to damage.
If the PFC is damaged in some way, personality can change drastically. For example, someone who
had been outgoing can become quiet and withdrawn after suffering injury to their pre-frontal
cortex.
Damage to the PFC can negatively impact someone’s ability to assess situations or perform tasks,
especially if they have a moral or ethical aspect to them.
People with damaged PFCs can be unable to discern appropriate behavior or suffer from
emotional distress, such as paranoia, anxiety, euphoria, and irritability.