Brain maturation and its relevance to understanding criminal culpability of juveniles.
Brain maturation and its relevance to understanding criminal culpability of juveniles.
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DOI：
10.1007/s11920-005-0083-7
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发表时间：
2005-08-01
影响因子：
6.7
通讯作者：
Gur, Ruben C
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Gur, Ruben C
这篇综述的目的是总结目前对人类大脑在青少年时期到青年期的成熟过程的理解。我们描述了在这种调查中使用的方法，并概述了有关大脑发育过程的主要发现。关于大脑的成熟，我们还有很多不了解的地方，但有一致的证据表明，大脑的成熟要到成年早期（大约21岁）才完成。此外，成熟的主要指标，即髓鞘形成率，表明大脑区域之间的成熟率存在很大的差异。一般来说，到青春期后期，联合皮层的成熟还没有完成，在这个皮层中，前额叶区域是最后成熟的。评论的结论是讨论这些发现的行为影响。髓鞘形成的作用是集中和完善调节行为的神经网络的运作，额叶专门调节和抑制冲动，在与计划行动和长期目标有关的环境背景下塑造行为。由于大脑解剖学数据表明，人们在成年之前，在生理上还没有准备好行使完全犯罪意图所需的成熟的执行控制，因此青少年在这方面的能力已经减弱，不应有资格受到对其犯罪的最严厉惩罚。
The purpose of this review is to summarize current understanding of the process of maturation in human brains during the juvenile period to young adulthood. We describe the methods used in such investigations, and outline the main findings regarding the course of brain development. There is much that we do not know about brain maturation, but there is congruence of evidence indicating that brain maturation is not complete until young adulthood (approximately age 21 years). Furthermore, the main index of maturation, which is rate of myelination, points to large variability in the rate of maturation among brain regions. Generally, maturation of association cortex is not complete by late adolescence, and within this cortex the prefrontal regions are last to mature. The review concludes by discussing the behavioral implications of these findings. The role of myelination is to focus and refine the operation of neural networks regulating behavior, and the frontal lobes specifically modulate and inhibit impulses, shaping behavior within the context of the environment in relation to planned action and long-term goals. Because the brain anatomy data indicate that people are not biologically prepared to exercise mature executive control required for full criminal intent until they reach adulthood, juveniles have diminished capacity in this regard and should not be eligible for the most severe punishment available for their crime.