American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Adolescent developmentBiological, Developmental, and Neurobehavioral Factors Relevant to Adolescent Driving Risks
Introduction
Learning to operate a car in a safe and responsible manner consistently requires not only the acquisition of specific knowledge and skills needed for driving but also mature functioning of a broader set of self-regulatory capacities that promote reliable self-control over behavior and emotions across a variety of situations and social contexts. Even a transient lapse in attention or an impulsive action triggered by a strong emotion can lead to deadly consequences in an automobile. These factors are particularly salient in adolescence because youth are still developing important aspects of self-regulatory capacities at the same time that they are learning how to drive. In addition, it appears that adolescents are especially vulnerable to affective influences in some social situations and contexts that make them more prone to risk taking, novelty seeking, sensation seeking, and strong emotional influences on decision making. Moreover, the underlying neural systems that support and influence these emerging abilities in self-control are still maturing throughout the teen years.
The primary focus of this article is to briefly review emerging knowledge about adolescent brain development, focusing particularly on the interplay between cognitive and emotional systems in ways that may provide insights relevant to understanding at least some aspects of the increased driving risks among youth. Clearly, this is a complex area with, at best, limited scientific understanding to date. The reasons why adolescents have difficulty controlling their emotions and behavior are complicated. Important factors include not only the biological dimensions of development but also the wide array of social influences that trigger and influence the underlying neurobehavioral systems of interest. The goals of the articles in this supplement are to present a conceptual framework that, it is hoped, will provide a useful framework for understanding, and to focus on a few areas of advancing knowledge where emerging research on neurobehavioral development may provide untapped opportunities for developing new approaches to effective driving safety efforts to prevent teen crashes.
Section snippets
A Neurobehavioral Model: Puberty, Brain Maturation, and the Development of Self-Control over Behavior and Emotion in Adolescence
Emerging evidence indicates that adolescence is a period of malleability, or developmental plasticity, in neural systems that underpin behavior, emotions, decision making, and self-regulatory capacities. Patterns of neural connection among systems of emotion, motivation, and cognitive processes related to the pursuit of long-term goals appear to undergo a natural reorganization and a set of maturational refinements during adolescence. At the same time, adolescents face new social challenges
Pubertal Changes in Affective Systems: The Neurobehavioral Underpinnings of Increased Risk Taking, Sensation Seeking, and Novelty Seeking
Broadly speaking, adolescence represents a transition from “child” status (requiring parent/adult monitoring of behavior) to “adult” status (with expectations for autonomous self-control of behavior in a socially responsible manner). The capacities for competent self-control of behavior and emotions encompass a set of slow, gradual processes that continue to develop through the late teenage years and into the twenties. In contrast, the emergence of pubertal influences on emotion and motivation
Gradual Emergence of Cognitive Self-Control in the Adolescent Brain
In contrast to the relatively early and rapid changes in affective systems that appear to be linked to pubertal maturation, another set of cognitive skills and, more broadly, competence in self-control of behavior, seem to develop gradually across adolescence and continue to mature long after puberty is over. The underlying neural systems that support these capacities undergo maturational changes throughout adolescence. Brain imaging studies show that cortical development continues well into
The Development of Sleep/Arousal Regulation in Adolescence and the Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Driving in Youth
There is growing evidence that many youth in the U.S. obtain insufficient sleep—particularly on school nights.38, 39, 40 A recent large study of sleep habits found that 45% of adolescents report insufficient sleep on school nights, and 28% complain they often feel “irritable and cranky” as a result of getting too little sleep.41 Moreover, concern is growing about the consequences of sleep deprivation among teenagers. These consequences—including sleepiness and negative effects on attention,
Adverse Consequences of Sleep and Circadian Disturbances
The consequences of insufficient and poorly timed sleep among youth are the focus of increasing concern among public health and education professionals. The negative effects include several overlapping domains of impairment: falling asleep, lapses in attention, fatigue, and decreased motivation, as well as a broader set of cognitive, emotional, and physical health effects (including obesity). Most relevant to the focus of this article is the impact on risks for unintentional injuries.
Conclusion: Implications for Prevention
In summary, the specific consideration of sleep regulation provides not only an illustration of brain–behavior–social-context interactions leading to a negative spiral of effects, but also a specific and pragmatic target for intervention. That is, it highlights the importance of policy changes that lead to improving sleep habits and patterns (and better education about the risks of sleep deprivation) in adolescents.
More generally, however, it also highlights the potential value of current and
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