This information is an adapted translation from material published on the BBC News website. The original can be found here.
As part of the study, around 4,000 participants under the age of 90 were examined, and their brains were scanned to study the connections between neurons.
The findings from the Cambridge researchers show that the brain retains its youthful phase until the age of 30 — this age is considered the peak of a person's physical and mental development.
According to the researchers, the results of this study will help explain how the risks of mental disorders and dementia change at different stages of life.
The results of the research group have been published in the journal Nature Communications.
Although the brain constantly changes with the accumulation of new knowledge and experience, the study shows that this is not a single smooth process, but consists of five distinct phases:
Childhood — from birth to 9 years;
Adolescence — from 9 to 32 years;
Adulthood — from 32 to 66 years;
Early aging — from 66 to 83 years;
Late aging — from 83 years and older.
The first phase is Childhood. At this stage, the brain rapidly increases in volume while simultaneously shedding excess synapses formed in early childhood.
During this period, the brain operates less efficiently, acting like an unorganized child wandering in a park without a clear goal, instead of moving straight from point A to point B.
Adolescence. Starting around age 9, the connections in the brain begin to reorganize for maximum efficiency. "This is a colossal shift," notes Dr. Mousley, emphasizing that this transition is one of the most significant in a person's life.
It is at this stage that the risk of developing mental disorders increases.
It is not surprising that adolescence begins with the onset of puberty. However, new research indicates that this period lasts significantly longer than previously thought.
For a long time, adolescence was perceived as limited to the teenage years; later, neurobiology showed that it continues until the age of 20, and now — until 30 and beyond.
This is the only phase when the brain's neural networks become more optimal. Dr. Mousley claims that brain efficiency peaks in the early years after 30, meaning at the end of the phase lasting from 9 to 32 years. The expert calls this prolonged period of development extremely interesting.
Adulthood. Next comes a stable stage, which is the longest in the brain's life, lasting about 30 years.
During this time, changes occur significantly more slowly compared to the tumultuous past years, and this is where the reverse development of the brain begins.
According to scientists, during this period we reach a "plateau of intelligence and personality."
Early aging. This stage begins around age 66 and does not represent a sharp decline in brain activity. Instead, changes occur in the connections between different areas of the brain.
The brain begins to work less coordinatedly, dividing into separate areas that continue to interact with each other, like musicians engaged in a solo project.
Although the study focuses on healthy brains, it is at this age that symptoms of dementia and hypertension may manifest, affecting its condition.
Late aging. At age 83, the final stage begins. Data on this age group is less extensive, as it is more difficult to find enough people with normal brain conditions for scanning. Changes in the brain at this stage resemble symptoms of early aging but manifest even more vividly.
Dr. Mousley was struck by how age-related "transitions" coincide with significant life moments — such as puberty, health in adulthood, and major changes like having children at 30.
"This is a remarkable study"
The findings of the study do not highlight differences in the functioning of male and female brains. However, scientists have questions regarding gender specificity, including the impact of menopause on the brain.
"Many mental and neurological disorders are related to how the connections in the brain are structured. Differences in 'wiring' among individuals can help predict difficulties with attention, language, memory, and various types of behavior," asserts Professor of Neuroinformatics at the University of Cambridge, Duncan Astle.
"This is truly a remarkable study that emphasizes how profoundly our brains change throughout life," adds Professor Tara Spires-Jones, director of the Centre for Brain Research at the University of Edinburgh (she was not an author of the study).
According to Spires-Jones, the results of the study "align well" with the current understanding of brain aging processes; however, she emphasizes that "not everyone goes through changes at the same ages as indicated in the study."
