It wasn't until the late 1990s that neuroscientists discovered the teenage brain undergoes a critical period of development.
Irrational and moody behaviour common among teenagers is often blamed simply on hormonal changes, but advances in brain imaging technology are revealing a far more complex picture.
New research suggests some of the more challenging aspects of adolescent behaviour may be down to complex neurological change that takes place from the onset of puberty until early adulthood.
One of the major regions of development is in the pre-frontal cortex, the part of the brain involved in high-level cognitive functions such as decision making, planning, inhibiting inappropriate behaviour, social interaction and self-awareness.
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