Human brain goes through 5 life stages, says new study
Scientists just mapped out how our brains change across our entire lives—breaking it down into five big stages.
They scanned over 3,800 people from newborns to age 90 and found key turning points at ages 9, 32, 66, and 83.
So, what are these brain stages?
First is childhood (birth-9), packed with rapid growth and lots of brain rewiring.
Next comes adolescence (9-32), when the brain fine-tunes its connections for faster thinking.
Then there's adult stability (32-66), where things mostly hold steady.
Early aging (66-83) brings some slowdowns as connections start to fade, and in late aging (after 83), the brain shifts to rely more on local pathways.
Why does this matter?
Understanding these stages could help us figure out why our thinking changes as we age—and maybe even find ways to keep our brains healthier for longer.