Why is it that the brain of an adolescent becomes capable of processing information more efficiently than the brain of a child?
A) Because the brain has grown to its adult size by the time puberty occurs.
B) Because synaptic pruning begins to take place in adolescence.
C) Because not all of the cerebral lobes were "active" before puberty, but they are all working in adolescence.
D) Because the corpus callosum, a structure which used to block messages from going between the two cerebral hemispheres, atrophies and disappears during adolescence.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

During adolescence, the brain undergoes synaptic pruning, which is the elimination of unused neural connections. This process leads to a more efficient processing of information, as the brain retains only the most important connections. This is what makes the adolescent brain more efficient than a child's brain.

Why Is It That the Brain of an Adolescent Becomes