Your brain might not be “fully cooked” until 32, research suggests

26-year-olds, rejoice: you’ve got a few more years to blame your brain for your questionable life choices.

A recent study suggests the human brain keeps maturing for seven years longer than scientists previously believed—with the “adolescent” phase lasting until around age 32, not 25.

Some quick context: The age-25 guidance was always more of a rough estimate, rather than a hard rule. Much of the early neuroscience research in this area focused on participants between the ages of 4 and 20, with only extrapolated data for higher ages.

But newer research suggests brain development follows a longer—and more complex—timeline than previously thought.

A head of schedule

Researchers analyzed 12 different measures of brain organization to map out a more up-to-date picture of brain development. What they found:

• The first phase of development runs from birth to ~9 years old.
• Then comes adolescence, an extended stretch of rapid brain rewiring that can last until about age 32. During this period, the brain is still refining its connections and figuring out which neural pathways to strengthen, and which to prune.
• After age 32, the brain enters adult mode and hits a turning point. Instead of building new connections at high speed, it starts reinforcing the ones it uses most.
• The final two stages, “early aging” and “late aging,” occur at 66 and 83 years, respectively, when structural and cognitive decline tends to accelerate.

Why it matters: Many mental health disorders tend to emerge during adolescence. If that window actually extends into our early 30s, it could reshape how researchers think about prevention, diagnosis, and support.