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Prefrontal Cortex & Maturity

Prefrontal Cortex & Maturity

Having a Prefrontal Cortex in our brain structure means we 'should know better' than other species about the things around us. Interestingly enough the Prefrontal Cortex is the last part of our brain to mature hence why sometimes teenage 'goofy' behavior can be understandable, but what about adults? Could it be that in some adult humans the Prefrontal Cortex is defective in some way and therefore never matures? What about forcing the development of the Prefrontal Cortex? Can maturity be forced? Thoughts?

Maturity and Cortex Prefrontal

First of all, we need to understand the nature of brain development. As adults, our brains are not fully developed until the age of 25 which could be one of the reasons why some young adults seem to be "Immature" Or "Poor" In decision making. Also, it could be related to another medical condition such as schizophrenia which is linked to a defective Prefrontal Cortex.

Also, we need to define what maturity and immaturity is. You might see someone who is lightly considered "Strange" Or "Weird" Due to his likes or dislikes or perhaps with a more youthful attitude than the one expected for someone of his/her age due to societal norms. I don't think this is necessarily the cause of a brain disorder but rather a matter of personality and culture.

The lack of development on the Prefrontal Cortex could also be the cause why children with special needs (Particularly high functioning teens) have a hard time with decision-making because it is this side of the brain that allows us to read and react to social cues. Also, this part of the brain deals with semantic working memory, linked to how we understand every day language. In average teenagers, they use the back of the brain for decision making and adults use the front lobe. This is one of the reasons we shouldn't be so hard on teens.

In children or in adults? In neurotypical children, it is just a matter of age. As they get older, the white matter in the front lobes increases and with this increase, maturity.

Prefrontal Cortex & Maturity Health & Special Psychology

Well, like anything else "Maturity" Is relative to the people who declare the requirements for maturity, but I was thinking more about the way people treat others as a factor. Animals in the wild who do not have a Prefrontal Cortex do not use a system of reasoning like humans but instead use instincts. These instincts may lead to very aggressive and territorial behavior. Humans sometimes are no less different.

My main interest, which I did not mention in the first Post, was in the possibility of finding out how strong the signals are within certain parts of a person's brain. Does a more 'mature' person (As defined by how they treat others) have a higher or more active signal in the Prefrontal Cortex than the person who is considered immature? Also, could the brain reroute or is capable of distinguishing a lack of something in other parts of the brain? Studies have shown that a brain damaged victim or even someone born with only 10-20% of their brain can develop many sections of the brain to compensate for areas that are either dysfunctional or were not there in the first place.

Maturity and Cortex Prefrontal

By the way, most mammals have a Prefrontal Cortex of some sort (Some more developed than others). Hence, their ability to feel pain.

When we speak about Prefrontal Cortex we don't speak about in terms of higher or lower signal, but rather lack or insufficient white matter (Myelin) in the front lobe. And yes, there are ways to increase myelin in our brains and it all goes back to diet. As a matter of fact, there are certain foods that could be stopping the development of white matter. Some ingredients and foods that can help this development are:

Choline: Found in eggs, fatty cuts of meat, peanuts, sesame seeds and oats.

Lecithin: Found in egg yolks, soy beans, wheat germ and liver. Brussels sprouts, shrimp, peanut butter and chocolate.

Also Vitamin B12.

Maturity and Cortex Prefrontal

Teen brains may not be as hard-wired for crime as previously thought. Spikes in crime rates for teens and young adults suggest that biology may primarily drive risk-taking and law breaking, but a criminologists studying crime statistics in other countries indicate that culture may also play a role in shaping teen criminal behavior. Source 7k.