Life in the Fast Lane: Neurocognitive Mechanisms of Risk-Taking in Adolescent Girls with ADHD

Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by substantial neurocognitive changes, particularly within brain systems involved in reward processing and cognitive control (Hunter et al., 2026; Luna et al., 2015; Pfeifer & Allen, 2021). Cognitive neuroscience research has greatly increased our knowledge of the structural and functional changes that occur during adolescence, particularly regarding the increased risk-taking behaviours observed during this period (França et al., 2025; Lozano Wun et al., 2025; Shulman et al., 2016). Specifically, neurocognitive frameworks show that risky behaviours are not simply the result of poor judgment, immaturity, or a lack of self-control; rather, they reflect normative developmental processes occurring within the brain (Casey et al., 2008; Steinberg, 2008).