The adolescent brain strengthens useful connections and cuts unused ones; what is this process called?

The adolescent brain strengthens useful connections and cuts unused ones; what is this process called?

• A. Prefrontal cortex
• B. Neophilia
• C. Risk taking
• D. Neural pruning

Answer: (D)

Synaptic pruning is the brain’s process of trimming away rarely used connections while strengthening those that are frequently used. During adolescence, this refinement sharpens thinking and self-control by keeping efficient neural pathways and removing redundant ones, especially in the prefrontal areas that support planning and decision-making. As connections are pruned, the brain becomes faster and more efficient, often in tandem with ongoing myelination that speeds communication between neurons. This explains why adolescence is a time of noticeable improvements in certain cognitive functions as networks are refined. The other options describe a brain region, a personality tendency, or a behavior, none of which capture the refinement process described.

Synaptic pruning is the brain’s process of trimming away rarely used connections while strengthening those that are frequently used. During adolescence, this refinement sharpens thinking and self-control by keeping efficient neural pathways and removing redundant ones, especially in the prefrontal areas that support planning and decision-making. As connections are pruned, the brain becomes faster and more efficient, often in tandem with ongoing myelination that speeds communication between neurons. This explains why adolescence is a time of noticeable improvements in certain cognitive functions as networks are refined. The other options describe a brain region, a personality tendency, or a behavior, none of which capture the refinement process described.