Neural Underpinnings of Social Contextual Influences on Adolescent Risk-Taking

Purpose of ReviewAdolescence is a developmental period often characterized by heightened risk-taking and increased sensitivity to socially salient stimuli. In this report, we discuss how the developing brain serves as both a link between and a susceptibility factor for, social contextual factors and risk-taking in adolescence.Recent FindingsNeural activity in regions related to affective processing, cognitive control, and social cognition, which continue to develop across the adolescent years, shapes the relationship between adolescents' social environment and their risk-taking.SummaryExamining neural patterns of adolescent brain development enriches our understanding of how adolescents' complex social environment modulates their risk-taking behavior, which may have implications for adolescents' current and future substance use.