“The hubs that connect different regions are becoming set in place as the most important connections strengthen. We believe this is where we are seeing myelin increasing in adolescence,” Whitaker said in a university news release.
Further investigation revealed that the brain regions that undergo the greatest changes during the teen years are also where genes associated with schizophrenia risk are most strongly expressed.
“Adolescence can be a difficult transitional period and it’s when we typically see the first signs of mental health disorders such as schizophrenia and depression,” said Ed Bullmore, head of psychiatry at the University of Cambridge.
“This study gives us a clue why this is the case: It’s during these teenage years that those brain regions that have the strongest link to the schizophrenia risk genes are developing most rapidly,” he explained.
The study was published July 25 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
For more information on mental illness visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website, which caters to the needs of youth suffering from mental illness and offer the support to their families when they need it the most.
