Synaptic Pruning In Children And Adolescents – You Are Parents

At first glance, childhood and adolescence appear to be two very different stages of life. However, you should know that they share certain similarities. It is not for nothing that  we qualify the first two years as “the first adolescence”. 

Indeed, it is during this period that a cerebral process similar to that which occurs around 12-14 years old takes place: synaptic pruning.

The human brain is a complex and fascinating organ that is constantly changing, especially during the first two decades of life. 

Understanding how it works can help us put ourselves in the shoes of children and adolescents and support them with love during these transitions. We are therefore going, through this article, to present to you what synaptic pruning is and to explain to you how it affects young people.

What is synaptic pruning?

Synaptic pruning is a brain process that involves breaking down connections between neurons. These are formed from learning, but when they become too numerous, the brain ends up losing efficiency. Pruning therefore aims to get rid of little used connections so that brain capacity remains available for the most useful and used.

Ultimately, it is a process of brain remodeling. Thanks to it, the number of existing connections is reduced and those that remain are strengthened. This regulation allows the brain to achieve optimal functioning and, above all, more adapted to the environment.

Synaptic pruning in childhood

From the embryonic stage until two years of age, many neuronal connections are created. They are the fruit of children’s discoveries and the knowledge they gradually acquire. And, after this exponential growth, a first stage of pruning and restructuring occurs.

This is a programmed process, necessary for the child to develop adequately. However,  the environment has an important influence  and this is where education can make all the difference:

• It is necessary for the baby to receive adequate stimulation for pruning to occur. If not, too many connections will stick around and make the brain less efficient. Ultimately, the child will lose abilities.
• It is a process whose goal is to achieve better adaptation to the environment. Therefore,  influences from outside will have an impact on which connections are maintained and which will be eliminated. Those that the child uses more frequently will be reinforced while those less used will disappear. Education is the guide to this brain remodeling. The areas and skills most worked on with the little one will be maintained and will be reinforced.

What happens during adolescence?

Previously, it was believed that by the time of reaching adolescence, the brain was already fully formed. However, we ended up discovering that each brain region follows its own course and that certain areas continue to create synapses at the time of puberty. This is the case with  the prefrontal cortex, which sees an increase in the number of its connections around 11-12 year olds. This leads to a new pruning process.

We must keep in mind that this region of the brain is the one that takes care of planning, organization, objectives …  And that it will not achieve optimal performance before the end of the process (which occurs about 20 years old). This data allows us to better understand the difficulties of adolescents with regard to executive functions.

They select and discard information, they build their capacity for self-regulation, but the latter is not yet properly developed. This is why adults need to be understanding with adolescents and act as their guide and regulator until they can do it on their own.

Likewise, at the end of the second decade of life, the prefrontal cortex will have integrated with other brain structures such as the amygdala (which is responsible for impulses and emotions). Thus,  the automatic reactions will eventually be regulated and the impulsivity typical of adolescence will decrease.

Guide this process

To sum up, synaptic pruning is a natural and necessary brain process. It helps the brain to mature and optimizes its functioning. However, knowing when this brain remodeling occurs will help us better understand it. It will also help us guide him through the experiences, learnings and stimuli that we offer to children and adolescents.