Human brain development timeline

Studies report that three primary structures are formed in the sixth gestational week. These are the forebrain, the midbrain, and the hindbrain, also known as the prosencephalon, mesencephalon, and the rhombencephalon respectively. Five secondary structures originate from these in the seventh gestational week. These are the telencephalon, diencephalon, mesencephalon, metencephalon, and myelencephalon; the lateral ventricles, third ventricles, cerebral aqueduct, and upper and lower parts of the fourth ventricle in adulthood originated from these structures.{{cite journal|title=Three-dimensional sonographic evaluations of embryonic brain development|pmid=18096737 | volume=27 |issue=1 | date=January 2008|journal=J Ultrasound Med|pages=119–24|vauthors=Kim MS, Jeanty P, Turner C, Benoit B |doi=10.7863/jum.2008.27.1.119|doi-access=free}} The appearance of cortical folds first takes place during 24 and 32 weeks of gestation.{{Cite journal|last1=Budday|first1=Silvia|last2=Raybaud|first2=Charles|last3=Kuhl|first3=Ellen|author3-link= Ellen Kuhl |date=2014-01-01|title=A mechanical model predicts morphological abnormalities in the developing human brain|journal=Scientific Reports|volume=4|pages=5644|doi=10.1038/srep05644|issn=2045-2322|pmc=4090617|pmid=25008163|bibcode=2014NatSR...4E5644B }}

Cortical white matter increases from childhood (~9 years) to adolescence (~14 years), most notably in the frontal and parietal cortices.{{cite journal|title=Imaging brain development: the adolescent brain|pmid=22178817|author=Blakemore, S.J. | doi=10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.11.080|volume=61|issue=2|date=June 2012|journal=NeuroImage|pages=397–406|s2cid=207182527 }} Cortical grey matter development peaks at ~12 years of age in the frontal and parietal cortices, and 14–16 years in the temporal lobes (with the superior temporal cortex being last to mature), peaking at about roughly the same age in both sexes according to reliable data. In terms of grey matter loss, the sensory and motor regions mature first, followed by other cortical regions. Though it is a controversial psychometric, adult IQ also begins to be tested around this age range, with the Raven's Progressive Matrices test beginning at age 14 and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale test beginning at age 16, though scores between 14 and 16 on the Wechsler test have differences so small that they are considered unreliable. This may bring into question the effectiveness of brain development studies in treating and successfully rehabilitating criminal youth.{{cite journal |last1=Icenogle |first1=G. |last2=Steinberg |first2=L. |last3=Duell |first3=N. |last4=Chein |first4=J. |last5=Chang |first5=L. |last6=Chaudhary |first6=N. |last7=Di Giunta |first7=L. |last8=Dodge |first8=K. A. |last9=Fanti |first9=K. A. |last10=Lansford |first10=J. E. |last11=Oburu |first11=P. |last12=Pastorelli |first12=C. |last13=Skinner |first13=A. T. |last14=Sorbring |first14=E. |last15=Tapanya |first15=S. |year=2019 |title=Adolescents' Cognitive Capacity Reaches Adult Levels Prior to Their Psychosocial Maturity: Evidence for a "Maturity Gap" in a Multinational, Cross-Sectional Sample |journal=Law and Human Behavior |volume=43 |issue=1 |pages=69–85 |doi=10.1037/lhb0000315 |pmc=6551607 |pmid=30762417 |last16=Tirado |first16=L. M. |last17=Alampay |first17=L. P. |last18=Al-Hassan |first18=S. M. |last19=Takash |first19=H. M. |last20=Bacchini |first20=D.}}

It's a common misconception to believe the brain stops development at any specific age. In the 2010s and beyond, science has shown that the brain continues to develop until at least 30 years of age.{{cite journal |last1=Shafee |first1=R. |last2=Buckner |first2=R. L. |last3=Fischl |first3=B. |year=2014 |title=Gray matter myelination of 1555 human brains using partial volume corrected MRI images |journal=NeuroImage |volume=105 |pages=473–485 |doi=10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.10.054 |pmc=4262571 |pmid=25449739}}

• Brain development timelines
• Development of the nervous system in humans
• Evolution of the brain

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• [http://www.translatingtime.net/ Translating Time] — a website providing translation of brain developmental times among different species

Category:Embryology of nervous system

Category:Developmental neuroscience