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Brain maturation and risk behavior among young drivers

International Traffic Medicine AssociationAD Den Haag 26-29 April, 2009

Dagfinn Moe SINTEF

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Two girls, 18 years old, are on their way to school ca 0815 am in a Golf 1990

model

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Four young people (4) were killed and one (1) seriously injured in a head on accident between a Golf 1990 model and a heavy vehicle

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The understanding of driving behavior”inter- and multidisciplinarity”

R&D Driver Behavior

•Accident analysis•Behavioral studies

•Psychological testing•Surveys

•Interviews

R&DBrain and Behavior

NeurobiologyMaturation-

developmentLearning-memory

systems

fMRI-neuroimaging

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Prof. Jay Giedd

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Adolescent brain development can

be divided into four processes:(Giedd-2006, Steinberg-2008, Toga-2006)

ProliferationRapid growth of brain matter and the formation of

new connections within the brain

Pruning Cutting away of unused or unimportant

connections

MyelinationInsulating of brain pathways and connections

to make them faster and more stable

Remodeling of the dopaminergic system

There is a redistributionof dopamine concentration around puberty

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Brain maturation 5 – 20 yearBrain maturation 5 – 20 year

Gogtay, Giedd, et al. (2004) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA

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”CEO”Chief Executive Officer

Auditory,vestibular

Vision

Sensory cortex,Space

Association

Motor cortex,muscle

activation

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•Learning•Memory•Emotion

THE LIMBIC SYSTEM

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Puberty(oxytocin-friends)

Remodelling (dopamin-reward)

A social neuoroscience perspectiveon adolescent risk-taking

(L. Steinberg, Temple University, Philadelphia-2008)

Cognitive control functions”prefrontal cortex”

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Rat

e of

Mat

urat

ion

adolescent

limbic/amygdala

prefrontal cortex

Galvan et al 2006 Developmental Science

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Conclusions about Frontal Lobe Immaturity

1. Poor judgment and difficulty thinking through consequences of behavior

2. Impulsive and emotional responses rather than logical and practical ones

3. Miscommunication with peers and adults—they miss subtle social cues, misinterpret expectations, and misread facial expressions.

4. Increased risk-taking; inappropriate actions not as inhibited as in adults

Adolescence is generally a period of increased impulsivity

and risk-taking behaviour, but some teens might be

especially prone to engage in such behaviours.

Galvan et al. (2007)

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I think neuroscience can contribute to a more completeunderstanding of young drivers behavior

Thank you for your attention!