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When we think about cognitive development, we naturally think first about children growing up.
Of course, the neurodevelopment of a child – particularly your own child – is fascinating, it’s a pleasure watching them learn and grow.
But once that child has become an adult, their cognitive development is rarely thought upon again, until they are very old and possibly in a state of cognitive decline.
However, a new study from researchers at the University of Cambridge has proven that cognitive development is still occurring throughout those adult years – and there are five specific stages that your brain goes through in the years between birth and old age.
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In their study, which was recently published in the journal Nature Communications, the neuroscientists evidence five major stages of brain structure, highlighting the changes within the brain that occur between them.
By studying almost 4,000 MRI scans of people between birth and ninety years old, they were able to understand and map the individuals’ neural connections, with startling results.
In the first brain stage, known as the ‘childhood brain’, the researchers noticed the growth of grey and white matter in the brain, and growing cognitive capacity as children between birth and nine years old undergo significant neural development.
The second stage, known as the ‘adolescent brain’ (interestingly stretching from nine to thirty-two years of age) shows increased cognitive capacity. It’s not all good though, because with that comes increased risk of mental health problems, as neural connections are refined, as researcher Dr Alexa Mousley explains in a statement:
“While puberty offers a clear start, the end of adolescence is much harder to pin down scientifically. Based purely on neural architecture, we found that adolescent-like changes in brain structure end around the early thirties. Around the age of 32, we see the most directional changes in wiring and the largest overall shift in trajectory, compared to all the other turning points.”
And after that? Well, in brain terms we enter ‘adulthood’, which stretches from 32 to 66 years. In this period, the brain is mostly stable, with your personality and your intelligence staying more or less the same.
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Then, at 66 we enter the ‘early ageing brain’ period, in which white matter begins to degenerate and our neural networks reorganise as we age. The researchers note that in this period, the risk health conditions which affect the brain are increased.
Finally, the ‘late ageing brain’. Beginning around the age of 83, the brain sees a more substantial decline, as we encounter our brain’s last epoch. Fortunately by this period most of us are no longer working or doing anything requiring constant decision-making and brain use, and can enjoy our twilight years in peace.
This research, which identifies these key stages for the first time, is not only fascinating but also vital to understanding our neurology. By understanding what is ‘normal,’ we can have a greater appreciation for what is not.
And that could be pivotal to helping people of all ages going forward.
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