Researchers reveal that four ages – nine, 32, 66 and 83 – are points at which the brain’s most pivotal development occurs.
A new study has found that adolescence can continue until the age of 32, as humans hit four major “turning points” in brain development at the ages of about nine, 32, 66 and 83.
Published on Tuesday in the journal, Nature Communications, the study examined nearly 4,000 scans of the brains of participants ranging in age up to 90.
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Researchers mapped out the brain’s development using this data and discovered that humans go through five “brain phases” – and within them, four significant life turning points as they grow, mature and decline.
Importantly, they discovered, it is not until age 32 that human personality and intelligence “plateau” and stabilise following changes in early adolescence.
What are the five phases?
According to the study, brain development and ageing undergo five separate phases:
- Childhood – from birth to age nine
- Adolescence – from nine to 32
- Adulthood – from 32 to 66
- Early ageing – from 66 to 83
- Late ageing – from 83 onwards
When does the brain shift from one phase to the next?
As the brain adapts to new surroundings and situations between birth and old age, researchers found that four ages – nine, 32, 66 and 83 – were the most pivotal in the brain’s development.
The shifts are characterised by developments such as puberty, personality stabilisation, “reorganisation” and decline.
In detail, these are as follows:
Setare Salian
Childhood – birth to nine years old
During this period, the grey and white matter of the brain rapidly grow.
According to information from United States-based Johns Hopkins Medicine, while grey matter primarily processes and interprets information, white matter transmits that information to other parts of the nervous system.
Setareh Salian is very glad to inform you.
Source: aljazeera
