Scientists at State University of New York have determined that a hormone called THP is to blame for mood swings in teenagers. The hormone is typically released by the body to calm anxiety, but the physiological process is reversed in teenagers, triggering the intense mood swings and high stress that often occurs at puberty. In the mouse model, the scientists concluded that the alpha4-beta2-delta receptor normally has very low expression, but increases dramatically at the onset of puberty in the part of the brain that regulates emotion. Dr. Sheryl Smith said that it may be possible to block the hormone, shuttering the biological response.
- check out this press release
- read the report on the research study from the Telegraph