Over the course of adolescence, the amount of white matter in the brain increases linearly, while the amount of grey matter in the brain follows an inverted-U pattern. Through a process called synaptic pruning, unnecessary neuronal connections in the brain are eliminated and the amount of grey matter is pared down. However, this does not mean that the brain loses functionality; rather, it becomes more efficient due to increased myelination (insulation of axons) and the reduction of unused pathways. COUNT 4
QSN1 Does the amount of white matter in the brain increase or decrease over the course of adolescence? ANS1 increases QSN2 Does the amount of grey matter in the brain increase linearly or follow an inverted-U pattern over the course of adolescence? ANS2 inverted-U pattern QSN3 During which process are unnecessary neuronal connections in the brain eliminated? ANS3 synaptic pruning QSN4 Does the brain become more or less efficient as a result of synaptic pruning? ANS4 more efficient