Martha Farah, director of the Center for
Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania, says it is crucial to figure out what neural
circuitry is behind «free won't,» as she refers the ability to
control impulses, because it is one «of the many psychiatric disorders for which self -
control problems figure prominently.»
Specifically, established findings show that adolescents are at a developmental stage in which the limbic - striatal system (responsible for emotional drive, emotional response, arousal, novelty - and sensation - seeking, and reward sensitivity) is more quickly and fully developed than the PFC and related
circuitry, which is not fully developed until adulthood (responsible for self - regulation, emotional
control, impulse and
cognitive control, planning, decision making, and executive functioning)(see [3 • •, 29 • •, 34, 35, 36, 37 • •, 38] for reviews).1