Which of the following statements is true about the development of the cortex across the life span?
A) The cortex starts to thicken in childhood and adolescence, and continues to thicken as we age.
B) People with dementias lose intellectual functioning because of a process called "pruning."
C) Teenagers typically have more neural connections than elementary school children.
D) Changes in cortical thickness are most pronounced in the prefrontal cortex.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The prefrontal cortex undergoes the most significant changes in cortical thickness across the lifespan. The cortex does start to thicken in childhood and adolescence, but then undergoes a process of pruning, where unused neural connections are eliminated. This process is important for proper brain development but can also contribute to cognitive decline in dementias. While teenagers do have more neural connections than elementary school children, this is due to the process of pruning, which eliminates less important connections and strengthens important ones.

Which of the Following Statements Is True About the Development