New research shows patterns of brain development.
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We know how important brain health is, but a new study finds that it develops over our lifespan in ways we may not have realized. And our understanding of how our brains operate can help us consider our ongoing development in new ways. Spoiler alert: Two of the primary responses are creating strong, lasting connections and seeking new challenges and learning.
Brain development and health are critical today, because with record levels of overwhelm and mental health challenges, we need to consider how nurture and nourish our development over time. And our brain wiring can affect everything from memory and language to attention, choices and behavior.
Brain Turning Points
We have typically believed that our brains grow and develop when we’re young and then stabilize as we reach adulthood. And then we assume there is a slow decline as we age. But a new study published in Nature Communication is the first to identify critical phases in which our brains rewire themselves across our lifespans.
Researchers at Cambridge studied 3,802 people from the age of zero to 90. They used MRI diffusion scans to map neural connections by tracking the way water molecules move through brain tissue. They found about four key turning points that occur during our lifespans.
Ages Zero to Nine
Synapses (connections between neurons) are overproduced in babies’ brains, and in early development our brains are selecting and culling the synapses based on which are more active. In addition, gray and white matter grow in volume.
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Gray matter is known for how it helps us perceive, think, feel emotions, decide and remember. It is where signals are created, interpreted and integrated. White matter is understood to transmit signals between areas of the brain allowing for efficient coordination and integration across brain regions.
Ages Nine to 32
At age nine, we experience the first turning point, and this phase lasts until approximately age 32. Here, white matter continues to grow in volume, resulting in the increasing refinement of communication networks within the brain. The brain builds efficiency in connecting within regions of the brain and communicating across the whole brain, which drive cognitive capability.
Ages 32 to 66
At about age 32 through age 66, the brain stabilizes and plateaus in terms of both intelligence and personality. During this phase, regions of the brain also become more compartmentalized.
Ages 66 to 82
During the period from about age 66 through age 82, the brain gradually reorganizes. This is based on reduced connectivity as white matter degenerates.
Age 83 and Beyond
The final turning point happens at approximately 83. In general, the brain shifts to more local connectivity, with less connectivity across the brain.
Brain Stabilization and Development
Additional brain science has recently found there is a specific molecule that stabilizes our brain development. The protein called CCNI turns down development when the brain needs to stabilize.
This discovery by the Salk Institute and published in Nature has implications for how we might stimulate brain development in cases of depression, PTSD, injury, stroke or Alzheimer’s. And of course it’s related to how our brains grow, develop and wire over time.
Emphasize Connections for Brain Health
There is plenty we can do to maintain our brain health and development. One of the primary elements is staying connected with others.
Sweeping research of almost 39,000 participants across 13 studies published in Lancet Healthy Longevity found that when people had strong connections with others, they experienced less cognitive decline.
In particular, participants in the studies experienced less cognitive decline when they were in a relationship or married compared with those who were single or never married. In addition, people experienced less memory or language decline when they lived with others, compared with those who lived alone.
Study participants also experienced less decline in memory when they had weekly interactions with family, friends or community groups, compared with those who had no interactions. Finally, people experienced slower decline in overall cognition and slower decline in executive function when they never felt lonely, compared to those who experienced loneliness.
All this means that we are wise to reach out, connect, invest time with our community and sustain relationships.
Emphasize Learning for Brain Health
Another important way to maintain our brain health is to seek challenge.
Comprehensive research published in Multimodal Technologies and Interaction looked at 94 different studies and found that when people faced situations of high ‘cognitive load’, meaning they were faced with demanding and complex thinking tasks, they experienced enhanced neuro-connectivity and learning performance.
The adaptation of their brains was optimal when the levels of challenge were high but reasonable. With very little challenge or, alternatively, with unreasonable amounts of challenge, the adaptation and neuroplasticity weren’t as significant.
Another study found that training and opportunities for continued learning translated into better cognitive function, according to research of 31 different studies published in Aging Research Reviews. And in another 15-year study of over 8,000 participants published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, researchers found when people participated in intellectually stimulating activities, they were more likely to retain cognitive function and brain health.
At any age, and every age, we benefit by seeking challenge and fostering opportunities to learn, explore and expand our perspectives, knowledge and skills.
Brain Health for a Bright Future
The more we know, the more we can respond and develop, and embrace our own brain health and function at every turning point.