An Understanding of How Our Brain Grow Old

Through research, it may be possible to better understand Alzheimer’s disease and psychiatric disorders.

The first detailed information about when the brain grows and shrinks was given out today in a study that could be used to find out about brain diseases.

The Cambridge University-led Brain Chart study is the first to uncover milestones that could be used to determine whether brains are “aging healthily.” The graph depicts how the brain grows fast in early childhood — by 70% from roughly a third of the way through pregnancy to the age of three years — and then steadily diminishes as we get older.

In the womb, the volume of grey matter (or brain cells) expanded fast and peaked before the child reached the age of six. From mid-pregnancy, the volume of white matter, or “brain connections,” that control learning and cognitive functioning grows quickly, but it doesn’t reach its peak until after 29 weeks.

Gray matter in the subcortex, which controls physical processes and fundamental behavior, peaks at 14 and a half years old in adolescence, but overall white matter volume begins to drop after the age of 50. This will aid in determining whether or not individuals are following a typical path.

In contrast to the growth charts for a child’s height, weight, and head circumference, which have been a cornerstone of healthcare for more than 200 years, there is now no reference standard. It means that there are now reference points for abnormal brain anatomy that may be used to assess neurological and mental illnesses as well as brain diseases.

Things are a little more complicated with brain imaging data, according to Dr. Bethlehem, than just getting out a measuring tape and documenting someone’s height.

It’s worth noting that the NHS does millions of brain scans each year, with radiologists and neurologists relying on their expertise to determine whether anything clinically relevant is visible.

Clinicians will be able to compare their data to ours in the future, according to him, and provide a more comprehensive report with more objective and quantitative observations. This should help the neurologist answer the question, “This area looks different, but by how much?”