cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/55796958

Researchers have identified five distinct phases of brain architecture that unfold from infancy to the late 80s.

The Euro News article is more accessible, if you want a quick summary of what the study showed.

You can also check out this Open Access link to the study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-65974-8

Intro:

Our brain structure moves through five distinct phases marked by four turning points, at ages nine, 32, 66, and 83, according to the study

The research is the first to identify major phases of brain wiring across the lifespan, shedding new light on what our brains may be particularly vulnerable to during different life stages, for example, childhood learning disabilities and age-related conditions like dementia.

“Looking back, many of us feel our lives have been characterised by different phases,” said Duncan Astle, the study’s senior author and a professor of neuroinformatics at the University of Cambridge.

Astle’s team compared the brain scans of about 3,800 people aged zero to 90. The scans track how water molecules move through the brain, allowing the researchers to map neural connections and home in on key moments of developmental change across the lifespan.