Animal models show that anabolic steroids flip the adolescent brain's switch for aggression
Anabolic steroids not only make teens more aggressive, but may keep them that way into young adulthood. The effect ultimately wears off but there may be other, lasting consequences for the developing brain. These findings, published in February's Behavioral Neuroscience, also showed that aggression rose and fell in synch with neurotransmitter levels in the brain's aggression control region. B...New HIV study identifies high-risk subgroups of adolescents
A new study from the Bradley Hasbro Children’s Research Center and Brown Medical School unveils profiles of adolescents at the greatest risk for HIV. Amongst a group of high-risk teens, researchers found that those at highest risk for the disease (those who engaged in the most unprotected sex acts) were mostly white males with mental health problems. . Prior studies have found that risky sexual b...Adolescent but not adult hamsters are more aggressive on low dose of fluoxetine
New research offers tantalizing clues as to why some teenagers taking common anti-depressants may become more aggressive or kill themselves. The research is published in the October Behavioral Neuroscience, which is published by the American Psychological Association (APA). . Neuroscientists at the University of Texas at Austin found that juvenile hamsters given low doses of fluoxetine hydrochlo...Scientists find hormone activity explains adolescent mood swings
The "raging hormones" of puberty are known to produce mood swings and stress for most teenagers, making it difficult to cope with this period of life. Until now, the specific causes of pubertal anxiety have not been identified, making it harder to understand and treat adolescent angst. . In the current edition of the journal Nature Neuroscience, researchers led by Sheryl S. Smith, PhD, professor...