Human brain thickness typically peaks in childhood before gradually declining with age
In short: Researchers who analyzed data from 17,075 healthy individuals aged 3 to 90 years found that cortical thickness generally follows a specific trajectory over a lifetime. The study observed that for most regions of the brain, the highest values for cortical thickness occur during childhood.
The study used cross-sectional data and fractional polynomial regression to map these changes. While most areas show a steeper decline in thickness during the first three decades of life followed by a more gradual decrease, certain regions like the entorhinal cortex are exceptions. A limitation is that this was a cross-sectional study, which shows associations rather than direct causes.
Why it matters: Understanding how brain structure changes over a lifetime helps researchers identify what constitutes normal aging versus potential cognitive issues.
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