Adolescence lasts much longer than anyone imagines. New research from the University of Cambridge in the UK analyzed nearly 4,000 MRI images and determined that the brain shifts typical of this period don’t end until around age 32.
The work, published in the journal Nature Communications on Tuesday (11/25), describes five major stages of neurological life, characterized by profound changes in brain connections.
The team mapped brain development in people up to age 90 using techniques that track the movement of water molecules in neural tissue.
This method allows you to visualize how communication networks are reorganized and how each step shapes cognitive abilities, personality, and vulnerabilities to different health conditions.
Major turning points in the human brain
According to the authors, the first age, called the infantile stage, lasts from birth until the age of nine. During this period, the brain undergoes intense reorganization, eliminating little-used synapses and promoting more active connections. This improvement prepares the neural architecture for the cognitive changes that will follow.
Around the age of nine, the first major turning point occurs. From this milestone, the brain enters what researchers know as adolescence, a stage in which the volume of white matter grows and communication networks become more efficient. It is precisely this increased efficiency that ensures significant progress in thinking, attention, and processing speed.
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According to neuroscientist Alexa Mosley, co-author of the research, this stage is characterized by major transformations. She explained in a statement that adolescence is the only stage of life in which neural efficiency increases continuously, which helps explain why this period is important for cognition.
When puberty begins
Around the age of 32, the sharpest turning point in life occurs, when connections change their direction and the neural structure assumes a more stable pattern. It is the beginning of adulthood, and is considered the longest. Between the ages of 30 and 60, the brain shows few structural changes and maintains more consistent functioning.
At the age of 66 years, the third milestone appears, which inaugurates primary aging. At this stage, white matter begins to lose its integrity and communication between brain regions slows down.
Starting at age 83, the study identifies a period of late aging, when connectivity declines further and the brain begins to rely on specific methods to maintain basic functions.
Professor Duncan Astle, one of the authors of the study, says that understanding these eras helps identify moments of greatest weakness. He remembers that many neurological and psychiatric conditions are directly related to the way the brain is wired. Therefore, knowing when these networks change most intensely can guide treatments and health policies across the lifespan.
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