Teenagers' brains suppress fear more than kids and adults, study says

By Staff Writer

A new study reveals that many teenagers may act brashly because their brain suppresses certain fearful thoughts that were present prior to adolescence.

According to the Agence France-Presse, scientists studied the fear responses in adolescent mice, and compared their reactions to younger and older mice. They measured their responses to electric shocks and tonal noises. Researchers found that two areas of the brain - basal amygdala and the hippocampus - exhibited lower levels of activity in adolescent mice than in younger and older rodents.

The study discovered that the changing brains of adolescent mice suppressed fearful thoughts, which could explain why many teenagers are more aggressive - and less apprehensive - than young children and adults. Scientists explained that the fear-based brain activity resurfaces after adolescence, but certain behaviors can be carried into adulthood activities.

The research was conducted by scientists from Cornell University, Brown University and New York University School of Medicine. They hope that further study of this brain activity can help treat individuals who have anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 8 percent of teenagers ages 13 to 18 are severely impaired by one type of anxiety disorder.