How having five friends boosts the adolescent brain – and educational performance

By Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Cambridge
Christelle Langley, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Cambridge
Chun Shen, Postdoctoral research fellow, Fudan University
Jianfeng Feng, Professor of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University

As most parents of teenagers are acutely aware, there comes a time when children start prioritising their friends over their parents. While young children rely on their parents for social interactions and influences, there’s a notable switch during adolescence, where the influence from peers and friends becomes more important.

Research backs up the idea that friendships are particularly important during adolescent years. They seem to

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