SC Member Makes Discovery About Teen Susceptibility to Depression and Schizophrenia

Scientific Council Member Bita Moghaddam, PhD, led adolescent brain research at the University of Pittsburgh that identified more activity in teen brains, in the dorsal striatum, in response to ‘happy chemicals’ released naturally in the brain when compared with similar adult brain activity. The dorsal striatum is a part of the basal ganglia, a part of the brain responsible for forming what are normally considered good habits and emotional responses to external stimuli. These findings will initiate further studies and may lead to the development of early intervention techniques and new treatments for adolescents. The results will be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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