Study identifies five major phases of human brain development
Brain development has five phases, with turning points at ages 9, 32, 66, and 83, new study reveals.
Why it matters
- Provides a comprehensive map of human brain development from infancy to old age.
- Identifies vulnerable periods for brain wiring disruption.
By the numbers
- Study based on brain scans of nearly 4,000 people aged under one to 90.
- Five phases of brain development: childhood (birth-9), adolescence (9-32), adulthood (32-66), early aging (66-83), and late aging (83+).
- Brain's neural wiring shifts into adult mode in early 30s, lasting over three decades.
The big picture
- Brain's structural journey has major turning points, not steady progression.
- Understanding these phases could help in identifying periods of vulnerability and potential interventions.
What they're saying
- Early 30s turning point correlates with significant life changes for many people.
- Questions raised about whether these transitions are happening earlier, similar to puberty trends.
Caveats
- Study did not explicitly test the role of life events like parenthood in brain changes.
- Individual variations may exist.
What’s next
- Further research could explore the influence of life events on brain changes.
- Investigation into whether these transitions are occurring earlier in modern times.