Most people think that the brain develops in childhood, matures in youth, and then gradually ages. But a new study shows that the reality is much more complicated – scientists have discovered that the development of the brain does not take place smoothly, and during life there are several distinct turning points in which the organization of brain connections changes significantly, writes “Nature”.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge analyzed the brain magnetic resonance scans of nearly 4,000 people between the ages of birth and 90.
The results revealed four significant change points – around ages 9, 32, 66 and 83. These ages divide human life into five distinct phases of brain development and aging.
The first turning point – around the age of 9
From birth to about 9 years of age, the brain develops especially rapidly – the neural connections necessary for language, movement, memory and social skills are formed and strengthened.
Around the age of nine, a new phase of development begins in which the brain’s connections become more and more efficient and precise.
The surprising discovery – “adolescent brain” up to 32 years
One of the most unexpected findings is that the stage of brain development that researchers describe as “adolescence” continues on average until about age 32!
During this time, the efficiency of brain connections continues to improve, information processing and cooperation of different brain regions improves. Scientists indicate that it is around the age of 32 that the most pronounced changes can be observed throughout life.
The most stable period – from 32 to 66 years
After that, the longest and most stable stage of life begins, in which the structure of the brain becomes relatively unchanged, and significant changes occur more slowly.
Researchers suggest that during this time the organization of the brain reaches a kind of equilibrium. It also coincides with the period when many people reach the peak of professional maturity and life experience.
The third turning point – around 66 years
About 66 years old the so-called early aging phase begins, in which brain connections gradually begin to lose efficiency and the effects of aging-related changes increase.
This does not mean that a person suddenly becomes forgetful or loses intellectual abilities, but the architecture of the brain begins to reorganize differently than in previous decades.
The fourth turning point – around 83 years
The last significant changes in the study were observed around the age of 83. During this stage, it becomes more difficult for different parts of the brain to communicate effectively with each other, and the brain increasingly relies on individual regions rather than extensive networks of connections.
Why is this discovery so important?
The researchers believe that these results may help to better understand why the risk of various neurological, psychiatric and aging-related diseases increases at certain stages of life. The better scientists understand how the brain changes during normal aging, the easier it will be to distinguish between natural changes and signs of disease.
Look back at your life and think – around the age of 30, did you feel that your priorities, way of thinking or outlook on the world changed? Or after the age of 60, people in your family started to perceive everyday events differently?
Scientists agree that every person is different, but new research suggests that our brains actually go through several distinct “eras” during our lives, some of which come much later than previously thought.
