World Scholar's Cup Practice Test 2026 – Complete Exam Prep Resource

Neural pruning is the brain’s process of refining its wiring during adolescence by trimming away synapses that aren’t used much and reinforcing those that are frequently activated. This activity-dependent remodeling makes neural communication faster and more efficient, especially in networks that support planning and self-control as teens mature. The prefrontal cortex is a key brain area involved in this kind of development, but it’s the pruning process itself that is being described. Terms like prefrontal cortex refer to a region, while neophilia describes a tendency to seek novelty and risk taking describes behavior, not the neural refinement process.