"Raging Hormones" Behind Teen Mood Swings?

(CBS/AP)  If you ever wondered why the teenage world seems to exist in an arena of topsy-turvy mood swings and turmoil, scientists at the State University of New York's (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center may have found the answer.

In an article published in Nature Neuroscience, researchers say they've discovered that the hormone THP, which in adults or younger children acts like a natural tranquilizer, calming you down, actually increases anxiety during puberty, reports CBS News correspondent Sharyl Alfonsi.

According to a Downstate Medical Center news release, SUNY scientists, led by Sheryl S. Smith, a professor of physiology and pharmacology, found that a brain receptor called GABA-A acts exactly the opposite in teenage brains compared to how it receives the THP hormone in adult brains.

Smith told Alfonsi that it may not be their friends making teens crazy, it may be THP. Instead of calming a person during a time of high anxiety, the GABA-A receptor appears to increase a teenager's stress, the researchers found.

What makes it act this way still needs to be studied, the researchers say, but the theory is indeed that adolescent "raging hormones" may play a role.

[newagefather]

Many questions when it comes to teenage behavior at the ages of 13 to 18. I'm a father of 9 and the olders kids are now 26 to 31.
I never really had a lot of trouble with the hormones with the kids in the 70's and 80's.

Now for the NEW Age hormones, I now have 5 kids at home, ages 14 boy 13 boy 10 girl 8 boy and 6 girl.

My oldest boy 14 has been really easy to deal with, he's always been a worker and wanted to be the father figure when I'm not home. A great child and I don't think I'll have many more issues with him.

Now for the 13 year old, he's got it in his head he really don't have to do anything that his parents tell him. He surely has the Melting of the brain issue. Yes all teenagers are going to go through stages that are not similar, however regardless of what the unstable behavior that one presents, I don't think no study from scientists at the State University of New York's (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center can define what makes a teenager act out or have behavior that changes from child to child.

Working with a child and teaching them what is right and wrong will prevail. How can you study a few kids from the world, or for that matter a brain from what ever source they may have used and determine how the world of children will act.

What makes the brain act this way still needs to be studied comment.
What great scientists made this call, of course it will need to be studied, for ever and ever. With all the hormones that is put into food in this day and time, soy and corn in almost every product you buy at the local supermarket, the study will will be an endless task.

I'm no scientist today, or maybe I'M MORE OF ONE THAN I KNOW.

If you will watch and listen to a child, and determine what the issues are as he or she grows into an adult, then you can again teach the child the way to deal with lifes changes.

Or you can contuine to do your research that only relates to a few children in the world. And tell parents what they should Do based on the GREAT SCIENTIST STUDY.

Parents and familys need to get back to the real world and pay attention to matter of real life when it comes to the kids.

Just to set the record, I know theirs some children that need help, however I think for the most part, we can solve this problem on our on ship. If a parent can't control a child with the little thing call hormones then are they really parents, or are they children thereselfs??

If you want to study hormones, one should study the hormones of the middle age, I've seen many middle ages women and men act like they should be put in a looney bin.

If you think a DR. will fix your teenage childs hormones or tell you the best way to deal with them you should have your head checked.

NEW AGE FATHERS AND MOTHERS SHOULD USE THE OLD SCHOOL WAYS AND TEACH TO PREVAIL, NOT PUSH THERE KIDS ON SOMEONE ELSE TO PER SAY FIX.

MY 13 YEAR OLD HAD A HORMONE RAGE THIS MORNING AND 3 HOURS LATER AFTER SITTING IN ONE SPOT AND EXPLAING THE ISSUE OF HORMONES AND THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAY TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM,I THINK HE'S LEARNED A LIFES LESSON IN ONE SITTING, AND I DID NOT HAVE TO PAY A DR.

WHAT IS YOUR COMMENT ON THIS????
NEW AGE FATHER OLD SCHOOL WAYS
IT WORKS EVERYTIME

[mmales-2009]

Another awful CBS News piece stereotyping all teens as crazed and unstable in ways that would be called hate speech if applied to racial groups or women. I've worked with thousands of teens in family and school settings, and there is NO SUCH THING as a "typical teenager." Adults display equally unstable behavior (due to deteriorating in adult brain cells after age 30? We older folks would resent that insinuation!). Frankly, the parents I saw, and who research shows, have the most trouble with teens were no jewels themselves. Believe it or not, our craziest-acting age group today is 40-54 (the parents) whose levels of violent death, drug abuse, divorce, arrest, imprisonment, and other ills have soared--which is probably why we're hearing so many bad things about teens.

[highthis]

My freinds and I are teenagers and we do, but does it say only women or men. That is the question of today. It is all teenagers. Let's the studie work on it self and see the other teenage group do.