New research from the University of Pittsburgh challenges the long-held belief that the human brain does not fully mature until the age of 25. The study, published in Nature Communications, suggests that executive functions, such as self-control, are fully developed by the ages of 18 to 20. These cognitive processes are crucial for problem-solving and forward-thinking, and are therefore important in determining when a teenager becomes an adult. The researchers analyzed four large datasets, comprising a total of 11,000 participants aged eight to 35, and found that executive functions increase significantly during late childhood and early adolescence, with further development during mid-adolescence, before stabilizing at a level comparable to that of adults during late adolescence.
The study’s findings have implications for a range of fields, including psychiatry, neuroscience, education, and the justice system. The detailed developmental trajectories could be useful in identifying anomalies and mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, earlier. The results also challenge the notion that executive functions are not fully developed until the age of 25, which has implications for setting age limits for the juvenile justice system. However, the study’s co-author, Beatriz Luna, notes that other important behavioral factors that complement executive function, such as the ability to control one’s emotions, may change with age.
The researchers used methods that were not available until recently, and the study is the most comprehensive to date on the topic. The participants completed 17 standardized tasks that measured executive function, and the researchers used the results to create developmental curves. The study’s lead author, Brenden Tervo-Clemmens, notes that the study was only possible through the open exchange of data. The study’s results suggest that executive functions are fully developed earlier than previously thought, which has implications for understanding brain development and behavior.
In conclusion, the study challenges the long-held belief that the human brain does not fully mature until the age of 25. The researchers found that executive functions, such as self-control, are fully developed by the ages of 18 to 20. The study’s findings have implications for a range of fields, including psychiatry, neuroscience, education, and the justice system. The researchers used methods that were not available until recently, and the study is the most comprehensive to date on the topic. The study’s results suggest that executive functions are fully developed earlier than previously thought, which has implications for understanding brain development and behavior.
