College Bound and the Changing Adolescent Brain

This summer, many parents find themselves caught between excitement and anxiety as they help their college-bound children prepare for the next chapter in their lives. There’s the practical preparation of endless checklists, such as shopping for clothes and dorm essentials, but there’s also the undercurrent of concern.

I think about a friend whose daughter had been planning to attend a university in her home state, but in a last-minute change, she decided to enroll at a school in another state. My friend’s concerns likely quickly intensified; her daughter would be halfway across the country, to a place with more freedom away from home, more distractions, and perhaps more potential risks.

These are familiar concerns to most parents of teens heading to college. Despite efforts to teach right from wrong, instill strong morals, and offer guidance, there’s always an undercurrent of worry, especially when their move is far away. This may be because, in truth, we remember what it felt like to pass through that vulnerable phase of adolescence.

A recently published study by Khushbu Agarwal and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health elucidates why adolescence is such a vulnerable and vital period for brain development, particularly focusing on the brain’s sensitivity to reward. [1]

For decades, neuroscience has shown that adolescence is not just a transitional stage between childhood and adulthood, but a unique and adaptive phase shaped by changes in our neurobiology. Foundational work by B.J. Casey, director of the Laboratory on Fundamentals of the Adolescent Brain at Columbia University, has shown that during adolescence, the brain’s limbic system (normally credited with the regulation of emotions, motivation, and reward) matures early, and the prefrontal cortex, which handles impulse control and decision-making, lags and continues to develop into the mid-twenties. [2] It is theorized that this developmental mismatch results in heightened reward sensitivity and novelty-seeking, driving greater curiosity and social exploration, also making adolescents more vulnerable to risk-taking behaviors.

What Agarwal and colleagues add to this picture is a deeper understanding of how early-life experiences shape the adolescent brain’s reward system. [1] Their study examined risk factors for adolescent maladaptive behaviors using large-sample data from the National Institute on Mental Health Data Archive Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development. By combining brain imaging, behavioral tasks, and measures of early life factors, like prenatal exposures, maternal health, family adversity, nutrition, and screen use, the researchers mapped how different life experiences shaped the development of neural circuits involved in reward processing and inhibitory control.

One key finding from the study is that prenatal stress and maternal health can leave lasting imprints on brain circuits tied to reward sensitivity and self-control. For example, adolescents exposed to higher levels of prenatal stress showed stronger brain responses to reward cues and greater impulsivity in behavioral tasks (such as difficulty delaying gratification or resisting temptation). Similarly, children who experienced early family adversity, such as economic hardship or conflict, tended to have more reactive reward systems during adolescence, potentially increasing their vulnerability to risk-taking behaviors. The study also highlighted the role of nutrition and screen use, which are often overlooked in brain development research. These were linked to differences in how brain networks related to reward and impulse control matured.

Agarwal’s study underscores the importance of early building blocks, including positive environments, healthy relationships, good nutrition, and balanced media use. These building blocks help shape a resilient brain against the pull of negative sources of reward in adolescence and young adulthood. Colleges and universities can play a role by providing environments where students can find positive sources of reward, from academics and athletics to social connections and community engagement. And parents should also remain steady sources of connection and encouragement during this transition into young adulthood.

In the end, adolescence isn’t a problem to be solved, it's a developmental stage to support with guidance and patience, even from halfway across the country.