Lecture Notes: The Teenage Brain, Schizophrenia, and Addiction

Overview

• Adolescence and Brain Development
  • By adolescence, the brain is full-sized but still developing, especially the prefrontal cortex.
  • The prefrontal cortex is responsible for future planning, morality, and self-control.
  • Its ongoing development explains teenage turmoil and confusion.

Schizophrenia

• Adolescent Vulnerability

  • Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to schizophrenia, a severe brain disease.
  • Case study: Courtney Hale Cook's sudden onset of schizophrenia in high school.

• Symptoms and Challenges

  • Visual disturbances, hallucinations, and emotional detachment.
  • Schizophrenia affects higher brain functions, like reasoning and emotional processing.

• Research Insights

  • No specific cellular damage identifiable in schizophrenia.
  • Enlarged brain ventricles suggest cortex thinning and prefrontal cortex deficiencies.
  • Research on adolescents shows brain growth and pruning affecting connections.

Drug Addiction in Adolescence

• Brain Development and Risks

  • Adolescence is a time of significant brain changes and increased independence.
  • The still-maturing prefrontal cortex makes teenagers susceptible to drugs and alcohol.

• Addiction as a Brain Disease

  • Addiction affects brain's reward pathway, altering neurotransmitter activity.
  • Case study: Jessie Galatar's addiction progression from alcohol to cocaine.

• Biological Mechanisms

  • Dopamine's role in addiction, especially in the brain's reward pathway.
  • Drugs like cocaine mimic neurotransmitters, altering brain's natural dopamine levels.

Recovery and Treatment Challenges

• Understanding Addiction's Grip

  • Research by Dr. Anna Rose Childress shows cues can trigger intense cravings.
  • Studies suggest baclofen might curb cocaine cravings by altering brain response.

• Preventing Relapse

  • Relapse rates are high; 8 out of 10 addicts return to substance use.
  • Programs focus on strengthening the prefrontal cortex and improving self-control.

Conclusion

• Adolescence is marked by critical brain development stages prone to disorders like schizophrenia and addiction.
• Advances in imaging and treatment offer hope but underscore the complexities of treating brain disorders.