Scientists scan teen brains to see who really calms their nerves

This study aimed to understand how the brain's response to social stress changes during puberty, and whether having a parent, friend, or another person nearby helps reduce that stress. Researchers at the University of Minnesota used MRI brain scans and measured stress hormones in 208 adolescents aged 11-14 while they performed stressful tasks. Participants were randomly assigned to have a parent, a close friend, an experimenter, or no one with them during the tests to compare the calming effects.