Differences Between the Teenage and Adult Brain Contrary to common belief, the teen brain and adult brain are incredibly different. Differences between the two brains include the development or the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and the striatum. Furthermore, the brain develops from back to front, so the prefrontal cortex is left undeveloped in the teen years. It is extremely important to understand these differences to know why teens behave the way they behave. The prefrontal cortex does not develop until the mid-twenties (Edmonds p.8). This section of the brain “weighs outcomes, forms judgments and controls impulses and emotions” (Edmonds p.6). Consequently, adolescents who have undeveloped prefrontal cortices cannot reason as well as adults
