Your brain isn't fully 'adult' until age 32, scientists say

CAMBRIDGE, UK — The human brain doesn't simply grow and then decline. Instead, it moves through five distinct structural phases over a lifetime, separated by four major turning points at ages 9, 32, 66 and 83, according to new research published this week in the journal Nature Communications.

Scientists at the University of Cambridge analyzed brain scans from 3,802 people ranging from newborns to 90-year-olds, marking the first time researchers have identified major phases of brain wiring across an entire human lifespan.

The findings challenge conventional thinking about when the brain reaches maturity. Adolescent brain development continues until approximately age 32, far longer than previously understood, according to Dr. Alexa Mousley, a Gates Cambridge Scholar who led the research.