Growing Up and Thinking Fast: How Puberty Affects Brain Development in Teen Girls

Have you ever wondered how growing up affects how well you can focus and make decisions? Scientists recently explored this in a group of teenage girls. They found that girls who went through puberty earlier or later than their peers had different abilities in tasks that required quick thinking and focusing. The girls took a special test called the Numerical Stroop test. This test helps measure how well someone can ignore irrelevant information and switch between tasks. The researchers found that being at a different puberty stage than your age peers could impact how well you can think on your feet and switch tasks quickly. They also noticed that this impact was more significant in middle adolescence compared to early adolescence. Isn't it fascinating how our bodies and minds grow together?