We're Still 'Growing Up' In Our 30's & 40's!?

Oh grow up. The law may consider you an adult once you turn 18, but new research suggests that your brain keeps on maturing until almost the half century mark. So, it is true that you get wiser with age, because the part of the brain that keeps growing, the prefrontal cortex, governs personality traits, decision making and social interactions. "Until about 10 years ago, we pretty much assumed that the human brain stopped developing in early childhood," says University College London professor Sarah-Jayne Blackmore. "But we now understand from brain imaging that is far from the truth, and that many human brains keep on developing for many decades." Neuroscientist Blackmore adds that this part of the brain continues developing well into the 30s and 40s. "It is the part that is involved in high cognitive functions," she continues. "It is also has to do with the ability to understanding other people."

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