December 9, 2009 | Eveline Crone
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 | 16.00 - 17.00 hrs
NOTE: Location has been changed
M1.01, Roeterseilandcomplex, Plantage Muidergracht 12, Amsterdam
Social decision-making in adolescence: changes in brain regions important for intention considerations
Prof. dr. Eveline Crone
Professor Neurocognitive Developmental Psychology at Leiden University
Changes in social cognition in adolescence have been well documented, but it is not yet known how the maturation of social understanding is related to changes in brain function over the course of adolescent development. In two studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we have found that between ages 12 and 25 adolescents are increasingly capable of understanding intentions of others in social exchanges using economic decision-making games (Trust and Ultimatum). Associated with these developmental differences, we have observed changes in activation in regions previously implicated in social understanding, including anterior medial PFC, insula and the striatum. Based on these studies, we hypothesize that the age-related changes in intention consideration result from slow maturation of brain regions which are important for social cognition.