The brain’s reward system tends to reach a high level of activation during puberty, then gradually drifts back to normal activation when a person reaches roughly the age of 25. This means that some people may have major struggles with impulsive decisions and planning behavior to reach a goal. The prefrontal cortex doesn’t have nearly the functional capacity at age 18 as it does at 25. When you’re 18, you’re roughly halfway through the entire stage of development. It may seem logical that those aged 18 to 25 are completely mature, the brain still is maturing – specifically the area known as the “prefrontal cortex.” Changes occurring between ages 18 and 25 are essentially a continued process of brain development that started during puberty. The mid-20s or “25” is just an average age given as checkpoint for when the brain has likely become mature. For some people, brain development may be complete prior to age 25, while for others it may end after age 25. At what age is the brain fully developed?Īlthough brain development is subject to significant individual variation, most experts suggest that the brain is fully developed by age 25. All behaviors and experiences you endure until the age of 25 have potential to impact your developing brain. Someone who is 18 may make riskier decisions than someone in their mid-20s in part due to lack of experience, but primarily due to an underdeveloped brain. The fact that our brains aren’t developed until the mid 20s means that “legal adults” (those age 18+) are allowed to make adult decisions, without fully mature brains. These days, a consensus of neuroscientists agree that brain development likely persists until at least the mid-20s – possibly until the 30s. Then along came some evidence to suggest that development may last until at least age 20. In the past, many experts believed that the brain may have been done developing in the mid to late teens. It is widely debated as to which age the brain is considered “fully mature” or developed.
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