Recently, scientists have found that the human brain goes through four major turning points at ages 9, 32, 66 and 83, with each stage showing different patterns of brain development, according to a new study published in Nature Communications.
The findings are based on MRI scans from about 3,800 people, and researchers say understanding these stages may help explain why certain mental and neurological conditions emerge at specific points in life.
"The brain rewires across the lifespan. It's always strengthening and weakening connections and it's not one steady pattern - there are fluctuations and phases of brain rewiring," lead author Dr Alexa Mousley, told the BBC.
Upon mapping the neural network of an average person across a lifespan, the researchers found that the brain rapidly grows and restructures itself from birth to age 9. During this period, the brain rapidly increases in gray and white matter and continues to restructure itself.
Between ages 9 and 32, it becomes increasingly efficient, with fast communication between different regions and this is also when most mental health disorders first appear.
From age 32 to 66, the brain remains mostly stable with only gradual changes. It keeps rewiring itself, but at a slower pace.
During the ages 66 to 83, the brain begins to split into smaller, well-connected subnetworks rather than functioning as one large system. After age 83, these connections decline further as different regions work more independently.
"It's not a linear progression," Mousley noted. "This is the first step of understanding the way the brain's changing fluctuates based on age."
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