Until fairly recent times it was generally believed that the key development of the brain was complete in the first couple of years of life.

However, new technology is revealing that there are important regions of the brain which change and undergo refinement throughout adolescence, and early into the persons twenties.

It is now possible for medical researchers to map these refinements of the teen brain, and to pin point areas of brain growth, which proceeds in fits and starts, altering levels of Myelin both healthy and unhealthy, which can cause either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in the teenager.

Such advances in research into the teenage brain are leading to new techniques involving to-

n  A much better understanding of the refinements taking place in the teen brain, both in its usual and non usual development.

n  For unusual changes, detection markers are now becoming available which can detect early indications of mental disorders, such as schizophrenia or bipolar illness, or even mental disorders which may become manifest in later life.

n  When such detections are made, targeted intervention can be made to prevent the disorder developing into a serious mental illness.

There are many changes going on in the brain as the teen develops, nerve connections and signaling mechanisms adjust to meet environmental requirements.

The reward centre of the teens brain (Ventral Striatum) becomes more active during adolescence and so strengthening the connections between reasoning power and emotional regions of the teens brain. It is while these connections are still maturing that the teen becomes more vulnerable to psychological disorders like bipolar illness and teen schizophrenia.

The Teen Brain, Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder.

n  Currently, science is examining the results of their recent knowledge of the brains operation and its changes during adolescence which become manifest as psychological disorders particularly bipolar illness and schizophrenia.

n  Brain imaging has revealed that adolescent changes in the brain usually begins in the teen when the changes in Myelin is undergoing its growth spurts, with the associated loss of grey matter and is strongly connected to the onset of schizophrenia.

n  As the Myelin levels change, so does the associate grey matter of the brain and this appears as schizophrenia in the teen,

n   Which if untreated by modern methods can advance and engulf the entire cortex of the brain within a 5 year period. So the schizophrenic condition continues.

By the technique of brain mapping, science now concludes, that the significant changes and environmental adjustments, within the brain, taking place during adolescence, are directly linked to bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other neurodevelopment disorders.

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