Overview
- A Cambridge-led study in Nature Communications analyzed diffusion MRI from about 3,800 neurotypical participants aged 0 to 90 to identify topological turning points.
- Results show extended structural maturation into the early thirties, with the most pronounced reconfiguration occurring near age 32.
- Between 32 and 66, brain network architecture enters a prolonged stable phase marked by slower change and greater regional segregation.
- From roughly 66 onward, connectivity declines with white-matter degradation, and by around 83 the system shifts from global integration toward more local reliance.
- Researchers flag age-specific vulnerabilities and practical implications for support and policy, including elevated mental-health risk around age nine and caution due to sparse data in the 83-plus group.