Brain has five ‘eras’, scientists say – with adult mode not starting until early 30s

The findings could give insights into risk factors for mental health disorders, which most frequently emerge during the adolescent period. Photograph: Andrew Brookes/Getty Images/Image Source

Scientists have identified five major “epochs” of human brain development in one of the most comprehensive studies to date of how neural wiring changes from infancy to old age.

The study, based on the brain scans of nearly 4,000 people aged under one to 90, mapped neural connections and how they evolve during our lives. This revealed five broad phases, split up by four pivotal “turning points” in which brain organisation moves on to a different trajectory, at around the ages of nine, 32, 66 and 83 years.