5 Stages of Brain Development: Key Ages Revealed

by Olivia Martinez
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    L’ESSENTIEL

    • A new study has identified five key stages of brain development throughout life.
    • These major changes occur around ages 9, 32, 66, and 83.
    • The research provides a more nuanced understanding of brain development, demonstrating it’s not a linear process.

    The human brain undergoes five major phases of development, shaping our learning, abilities, and vulnerabilities as we age, according to a new study. Understanding these changes is crucial for addressing neurological and mental health conditions.

    The discovery, led by neuroscientists at the University of Cambridge, is detailed in the journal Nature Communication.

    The Brain Remains in Adolescence Until Age 32

    By comparing brain scans of 3,802 individuals between the ages of 0 and 90, researchers identified four critical “tipping points” in brain structure that occur around ages 9, 32, 66, and 83, defining five distinct periods in a brain’s life.

    The first phase, early childhood, extends from birth to age nine. This period is characterized by “network consolidation,” where the vast number of synapses present in a newborn’s brain is pruned, retaining only the most active connections. “At the same time, gray matter and white matter rapidly increase in volume, so that cortical thickness – the distance between the outer gray matter and the inner white matter – reaches a maximum, and cortical folding, the characteristic crests on the brain’s surface, stabilizes,” the authors explain in their news release.

    Around age nine, the brain enters adolescence, a phase that continues until age 32. During this time, the volume of white matter continues to increase, enhancing neuronal communication networks. These additional and more efficient connections support increased brain activity, a phenomenon observed only during the brain’s “adolescence” and peaking in the early thirties, and is linked to improved cognitive performance.

    “Around 32 years of age, we see the most directional changes in wiring and the largest overall change in trajectory, relative to all other tipping points,” said Dr. Alexa Mousley, who led the research. “While puberty is a clear start, the end of adolescence is much harder to pinpoint scientifically. Based solely on brain architecture, we found that the structural changes characteristic of adolescence end around the beginning of the thirties.”

    Brain Architecture Begins to Age Starting at 66

    The brain doesn’t fully mature until well into adulthood, with this phase lasting for three decades. During this period, the brain’s architecture stabilizes, reaching a “plateau of intelligence and personality.”

    The study suggests the brain begins to age around age 66. While there aren’t major structural changes, researchers observed gradual modifications, including a decline in white matter. “This is a time when people are at increased risk of developing various conditions that can affect the brain, such as hypertension,” noted Dr. Mousley.

    The final turning point occurs around age 83, marking advanced aging. “Although data are limited for this period, the defining feature is a shift from global to local connectivity.” In other words, instead of functioning as a single unit, certain areas of the brain become more dominant and important.

    Study Sheds Light on Brain Development and Aging

    The research team emphasizes the importance of their work for understanding and treating brain disorders. “Many neurodevelopmental, neurological, and mental health disorders are linked to how the brain is wired. Differences in brain wiring can predict difficulties with attention, language, memory, and a whole host of different behaviors,” explained Professor Duncan Astle of the University of Cambridge and the study’s principal author.

    “Understanding that brain structural development isn’t simply a steady progression, but rather a series of major turning points, will help us identify when and how its wiring is vulnerable to disruption.”

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