When Does the Brain Stop Growing?

Have you ever asked yourself, “when does the brain stop growing?” According to Fox News scientist know that before age 12 the brain is racing to wire itself to make connections between nerve cells and that this is a time of rapid learning.

There are certain diseases such as Craniosynostosis, that can interfere with the natural growth of your baby’s brain according to Mayoclinic.org. This disease, Craniosynostosis, is a defect between the bone and the skull. Treatment usually involves surgery to separate the fused bones. But what happens to a brain that is not diseased?

In the article How to Fine Tune Your Brain, I talk about how children’s brains are like sponges soaking in all the information they receive. The brain can be exercised to keep it sharp well into old age. Just by throwing a ball improves your hand-eye coordination. I love word finds and reading for keeping my brain active.

Did you know that there has been new research that suggests reading a novel can change the brain and the effects may last for a few days or more. Postscience.com talks about a study that was done at Emory University. MRI scans were taken in between reading sessions of a novel and it was discovered that participants experienced brain changes associated with physical sensation and movement systems. Do you recall reading a novel and actually feeling many of the sensations or events that you were reading about? I have experienced that. I was reading a novel about a girl that had been mistreated during childhood. As I read, it was as though I could feel those awful feelings that she was feeling.

According to psychcentral.com there is a new research that shows the brains ability to make new connections longer after the brain stops growing. They showed the same gene that is highly active in young brains is also active in adult brains. They further called this pattern of gene activity “childlike.”

Swiss neuroscientist Lutz Jancke noted significant changes in the regions of the brain that control hearing, memory, and hand movements, even in those that were 65 years or older. These participants had been learning to play a musical instrument and practiced for five months. The brain never stops growing. The brain does hang on to neurons and grow new ones too.

Remember you are never too old to learn. Learning new experiences, attempting new endeavors, and reading are just a few things that can keep your brain alert.

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