And she'll have fun, fun, fun till her daddy takes the T-Bird away...

A Washington Post article reports on an NIH study that the measures brain activity of adolescents and young adults when driving. The study suggests that the brains of young adults and adolescents do not mature sufficiently to adequately appreciate risky behavior when driving, and may not mature sufficiently until the age of 25. Partly as a result of this study, at least one state has passed a law banning the use of cell phones by drivers younger than 18. This is yet another example of how strides in neuroimaging and neuroscience and our understanding of how our brain functions could have an impact on laws and policies. -- Linda Glenn