Tag: brain development

Ages and Stages

Austrian novelist Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach defined aging: “In youth we learn; in age we understand.” I am rethinking what age means on my birthday.

We know 4 aging stages of monarch butterflies: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis), and adult. This amazing metamorphosis includes caterpillars whizzing through 5 growth spurts, molting skin each time! This reminds me of adolescents making change after change with dizzying speed.

Research from University of Cambridge suggests that adolescence lasts longer than you ever thought. Dr Alexa Mousley and her colleagues found that the brain stays in the adolescent stage until the early 30’s. Key maturation is determined to end around age 32. Studying nearly 4000 individuals’ MRI scans (ages 0-90 years), the researchers concluded that there are 4 pivotal ages for brain turning points or major changes: 9, 32, 66, and 83.

  •  Childhood — Birth to age 9: Brains undergo network consolidation with the most active synapses preserved from a whittling-down process. There is a major boost in cognitive capacity, but also a risk of mental health challenges.
  •  Adolescence – Ages 9 to 32: Brains’ largest directional changes have an efficiency of connections within specific brain regions. There is rapid communication across the whole brain which relates to enhanced cognitive performance. However, this timeframe poses the greatest risk for mental health disorders. Many individuals initiate substance use in this stage. Repeated drug exposure can significantly alter brain development, especially relating to the ways reward and control circuits are wired. A drug habit may become almost automatic, leading to a reduction in prefrontal problem-solving which has many consequences.
  •  Adulthood – Ages 32 to 66: A “plateau in intelligence and personality” (based upon other research) was sustained in this research. Brain functioning appears relatively stable.
  •  Early aging – Ages 66 to 83: A mild and gradual reorganization of brain networks culminates in the mid-60’s, although a variety of health conditions (hypertension or diabetes, for example) may emerge; health issues can place an individual at risk for cognitive decline.
  •  Late aging – Age 83+: Whole brain connectivity reduces and there is more reliance on specific brain regions. However, this participant group was smaller than the other stages studied and merits more study.

The researchers admit their participants were controlled for “healthy” folks. Trauma affects brain ages/stages. An estimated 6 in 10 U.S. adults have experienced trauma (with higher numbers among women than men). Rates for children and adolescents are higher: according to the National Library of Medicine, about 2 out of 3 U.S. individuals experience trauma by age 16. This rate is likely higher among youth in violent war areas around the globe. We need a planetary plan for addressing trauma.  

How do butterflies deal with trauma? According to the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, butterfly wings are larger than needed for flying. Butterflies can fly with half of their wings missing. My translation for “youth” at any age: keep flying (learning)!

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

460. What does your age mean to you?

461. What health-proofing practices do you use?  

“Fast” Talkers Live Longer

The Berlin Aging Study (BASE) is a multidisciplinary (sociology, psychology, psychiatry, and internal medicine) study of seasoned citizens (my name for older adults) between ages of 70-105. Initially, detailed information was gathered for 258 men and 258 women who lived in Berlin. The longitudinal research originated under the direction of the late German psychologist Paul B. Baltes and German sociologist Karl Ulrich Mayer. Along with his American psychologist wife, Margret Baltes, Paul Baltes viewed lifespan development in terms of “plasticity” in cognitive abilities, a context of adaptation, and multidisciplinary factors such as one’s biology, family, schooling, religious affiliation, and profession. The Baltes couple promoted successful aging through optimizing one’s cognitive functions and the ability to adapt to change, including loss. Research supported their belief that cognitive abilities can continue to develop in late adulthood with participation in stimulating activities. A current longitudinal study (BASE II) of 1600 seasoned citizens (ages 60-80) is underway at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Germany.

BASE research results are fascinating. General intelligence did not predict who might live longest. Instead, verbal fluency was key in long-living folks. The participants with low (versus high) verbal fluency had a median survival time that was 9 years shorter! Verbal fluency requires broad abilities, including fast information retrieval and a crystallized knowledge base. One only hopes that a fast-talking individual possesses a truthful knowledge base.

Here are a few pointers for increasing your verbal fluency. Heather Hurlock, Founder and Editor of Super Age (an online source of health and wellbeing), names the first three well-established ones.

  • Read out loud. This suggestion also is endorsed by a 30-minute-daily program, StrongerMemory, for those in mild cognitive decline. Do not wait for cognitive deficits to appear to make a reading-out-loud practice for yourself! You will build on articulation and rhythm skills when you read to yourself or others. Both skills link to verbal fluency.
  • Hand-write often. While cursive is being dropped from many elementary schools, I believe that is a mistake. There is evidence that suggests learning cursive handwriting is helpful in one’s overall learning and retention. Handwriting (but not typing) is related to letter processing which translates to successful reading in youngsters. Also, handwriting is part of the StrongerMemory workbook exercises. https://goodwinliving.org/strongermemory-the-fight-against-cognitive-decline/
  • Think (and take deep breaths) before you speak. Take mindful pauses to provide your brain with a chance to retrieve some linking thoughts. Not only will this increase your confidence level, but it may enlist a better (or more humorous) verbal outcome.
  • Give speeches or read a poem (as in open-mic venues). You have talents to share and your brain will reward you for using a variety of sensory inputs.
  • Talk regularly; ask people questions. You may surprise yourself with what you can learn about others in a few sentences.

Have fun talking!

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

413. When is the last time you wrote a letter by hand?

414. How might you practice your verbal fluency in a new way?