Scientists Map How Brain Organization Evolves Across the Entire Lifespan
Scientists have mapped how the brain's large-scale organization changes from birth to age 100, revealing a predictable pattern of rise and fall. The brain's functional gradients, which describe how different regions connect and communicate along smooth axes, start simple in babies, anchored by basic sensory systems. During childhood and adolescence, these connections grow more complex and differentiated, forming distinct networks for attention, control, and abstract thought. As we age, this sophisticated architecture gradually simplifies again. This organizational trajectory tracks closely with cognitive performance throughout life. The findings also link these structural changes to genetic activity that is strongest early in life and fades with age, suggesting a biological timetable for brain development. This new timeline serves as a reference to identify when brain development or aging deviates from healthy patterns, potentially aiding early diagnosis of developmental or neurodegenerative conditions.
fMRI data from individuals of a wide range of ages (from a few days to 100 years old) are used to map the key organizational axes of functio