Scientists have found that the brain has five phases of development — adulthood begins at age 32

An international team of American and British scientists has described five key stages of human brain development — at ages 9, 32, 66, and 83.

This is stated in the scientific journal Nature Communications, The Gurdian reports.

Researchers say these "hacks" may explain why teenagers are more likely to experience mental disorders and older people are more likely to experience memory decline.

The first stage is from birth to age 9. During this period, the number of synapses — unnecessary “contacts” that transmit information between cells — is actively reduced. Only the necessary ones remain.

The second stage — from 9 to 32 years — is called adolescence by scientists. The brain continues to mature: the connections between its parts work faster and more clearly. This is due to the fact that at this time people best develop thinking, memory and other skills.

Around age 32 is the start of adulthood. Scientists say this is a turning point when the brainʼs structure becomes more organized, so it works more smoothly. This stage lasts the longest.

After 66 years, early aging begins, the connections between parts of the brain gradually weaken. At 83 years, late aging occurs — the decline in the functioning of neural connections becomes more noticeable.

To study neural connections, scientists analyzed nearly 4 000 MRI scans of people aged one to 90. This was one of the largest studies of brain structure.

The ages at which changes occur are approximate. Scientists also believe that life events such as parenthood may partially influence the changes recorded at age 30.

• In 2023, researchers created a complete map of the mouse brain, which is helping to study the human brain. The new map described the location and molecular information of more than 32 million brain cells and the connections between them.

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