Adolescent maturation of the prefrontal cortex: Role of stress and sex in shaping adult risk for compromise

Adolescence is a highly dynamic period of development, which includes the final organizational phases of neural maturation within the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The organizational events of neural pruning and myelination occur in a sex-specific manner, potentially giving rise to the disparities in mood disorders in adulthood. Because of the extended developmental time period of the PFC, environmental insults, including psychosocial stressors, may...