Abstract #3240

Brain Development During Adolescence: Metabolic, Anatomical and Functional Characterisation in Rats

Luisa Altabella¹, Francesca Zoratto¹, Francesco De Pasquale², Giovanni Laviola¹, Walter Adriani¹, Rossella Canese³

¹Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanita', Rome, Italy; ²ITAB Neuroscience and Imaging, University G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy; ³Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanit, Rome, Italy

It is well know that brain undergoes several morphological and functional changes during adolescence, in humans as well as in rodents. Present data provide a deeper view on the metabolic (by 1H MRS), morphological (by DTI) and functional (by functional connectivity) modifications which occur during rodents adolescence. Major metabolic changes occur during late adolescence, while maturation of cortico-limbic loops progresses during the whole adolescence.