Overview
- The analysis identifies turning points near ages 9, 32, 66 and 83 that separate infancy, adolescence, adulthood, early aging and late aging.
- Brain architecture stabilizes after about 32, aligning with a plateau in measures of intelligence and personality described by the authors.
- Researchers quantified organization using 12 network metrics, showing efficiency gains through adolescence followed by greater regional segregation in adulthood.
- Aging phases feature declining connectivity and white‑matter integrity, linking the structural patterns to mechanisms relevant to dementia risk.
- The paper in Nature Communications notes population averages and key limits, including a cross‑sectional design, fewer very old participants and untested effects of sex or life events.