Age Of The Brain: Is This Actually The Same With Your Physical Age?

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Yes, you’re considered an adult when you reach the legal age of 18, in most countries. However, if you’re looking at a scientific perspective, adulthood is like a mystery that remains unsolved.

Neuroscientists admit that they do not know when exactly adolescence ends and when adulthood begins. Not based in your physical body of course, but more on your brain age. 

You’re An Adult, But Some Experts Might Disagree

Even neuroscientists don’t know when adolescence ends and adulthood begins in the brain — after all, our brains are constantly changing, according to a new opinion paper published in the journal Neuron b Wednesday. Read more…

Science Daily says that different parts of the brain mature at different rates. It doesn’t grow up entirely overnight. A psychologist finds that defining maturity is more complex and challenging.

Leah Somerville a, a Harvard psychologist, says that using neuroscience tools to determine when a brain “reaches maturity” is much trickier than it may seem. Researchers should reach a consensus about what would define “maturity” in the first place.

The Challenge Of Defining Maturity 

While the law has to draw a line between adolescence and maturity, ranging globally from 10 to the early 20s, different parts mature at different rates, rather than growing up entirely overnight.” Read more…

New York Times says that the importance of brain maturity is relevant to a lot of legal questions. The right age for voting, be subjected to law, informed consent: these are just some of the issues presented.

People like Dr. Somerville have been through a lot of research for the past few years. They’ve learned a great deal about it and how it works. However, the challenging scene that’s about to unfold doesn’t have a clear cut line that policy makers would want to have.

Does Age Define Maturity?

Leah H. Somerville, a Harvard neuroscientist, sometimes finds herself in front of an audience of judges. They come to hear her speak about how the brain develops. Read more…

The development of these networks is still pretty unclear. They haven’t established how these influence behavior. Dr. Somerville said that it’s essential for the researchers to get a bigger picture of how this major organ progresses. They would have to conduct large-scale studies to monitor its development. 

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