To accurately capture cognitive and neurobiological changes during adolescence, this period must be treated as a transitional one rather than a single snapshot in time 3. In other words, to understand this developmental period, transitions into and out of adolescence are necessary for distinguishing distinct attributes of this period relative to other time points in development. Therefore, empirical data that establishes developmental trajectories from childhood to adulthood for cognitive and neural processes are essential in characterizing these transitions and more importantly in constraining any interpretations about changes in brain or behavior in adolescence.
