Neural Underpinnings of Social Contextual Influences on Adolescent Risk-Taking.

Abstract

Adolescence is a developmental period often characterized by heightened risk taking and increased sensitivity to socially salient stimuli. In this report, we discuss how the developing brain serves as both a link between, and a susceptibility factor for, social contextual factors and risk taking in adolescence. Neural activity in regions related to affective processing, cognitive control, and social cognition, which continue to develop across the adolescent years, shape the relationship between adolescents' social environment and their risk taking. Examining neural patterns of adolescent brain development enriches our understanding of how adolescents' complex social environment modulates their risk-taking behavior, which may have implications for adolescents' current and future substance use.