Building a highway for the brain

The brain is also influenced by hormones during adolescence, causing changes in brain cells and tissue structure, resulting in adolescent specific cognitive and behavioral changes. If the brain communication channels during childhood are compared to "dirt roads", then adolescence is the period when the brain is "building highways". During adolescence, the brain prunes excess synaptic connections, leaving behind commonly used connections and forming more myelin sheaths on neurons, making the brain more efficient and coordinated.

The unit is designed for unsupervised public use: controls are recessed or shielded, moving parts are enclosed, and the interface is operable by a child of about six with no instruction. Where a screen is used, the language can be switched without changing the hardware, and the content can be replaced on site.