TY - JOUR T1 - fMRI Analysis of Brain Network Connectivity during Adolescence. Knowledge of Normotypic Brain Connectivity Patterns May Further Understanding of Aberrant Processes that Cause Psychiatric Illnesses JF - eneuro JO - eNeuro DO - 10.1523/ENEURO.0275-18.2018 VL - 5 IS - 4 SP - ENEURO.0275-18.2018 AU - Rosalind S.E. Carney Y1 - 2018/07/01 UR - http://www.eneuro.org/content/5/4/ENEURO.0275-18.2018.abstract N2 - Highlighted Research Paper: Key Brain Network Nodes Show Differential Cognitive Relevance and Developmental Trajectories during Childhood and Adolescence, by, Knut K. Kolskår, Dag Alnæs, Tobias Kaufmann, Geneviève Richard, Anne-Marthe Sanders, Kristine M. Ulrichsen, Torgeir Moberget, Ole A. Andreassen, Jan E. Nordvik, and Lars T. WestlyeThe transition from adolescence to adulthood is a critical period for human brain development. The maturing adolescent brain must adapt to acquire abilities reminiscent of adulthood, including higher cognitive demands, increased emotional regulation, and social adaptation. A protracted period of neuroplasticity over several years enables new synaptic connections to be created and stabilized/removed between brain regions. During this time, gray matter undergoes extensive synaptic pruning, while white matter volume increases, supporting the emergence and specialization of functional networks. Therefore, it is not surprising that several psychiatric illnesses are thought to result from aberrant connections formed during adolescence. To understand how aberrant connectivity occurs, one must first have a thorough understanding of how … ER -