Although many people believe that a human brain stops to develop after childhood, it continues to evolve throughout one’s lifespan. The constant process of brain development is a primary reason for many researchers to believe that early adulthood should be considered another life-stage of “prolonged adolescence” (Hochberg & Konner, 2020, p. 1). The two main processes that happen to a human brain shortly after adolescence are changes in brain size and brain activity.
Basically, as per the brain’s activity, increased neuroplasticity is the driving force behind this process. For people aged 18-25, drastic social changes occur: they have to become financially independent and integrate into society, which poses a lot of cognitive challenges and decision making. Thus, parts of the brain that are responsible for delaying gratification and imposing self-control are used and therefore develop more than in childhood (Hochberg & Konner, 2020). Hochberg and Konner (2020) had found that the brain undertakes more functional connectivity, meaning that, unlike in childhood when cognitive activity was focused in particular brain areas, early adults’ brains are highly interconnected and neuroplastic. The increased neuroplasticity allows adults to be more psychologically prepared for the ongoing social changes due to the increased capacity of self-control.
In addition to the increased connectedness of brain areas, the brain itself continues to grow. The brain continually matures, which results in an increased amount of white matter in adolescents (Hochberg & Konner, 2020). As a result, brain capacity does not regress after childhood; on the contrary, the size of the frontal cortex and other parts of the brain increases. Unlike other primates, humans face age-specific challenges on every stage of development, and their brain evolves to suit those needs.
Reference
Hochberg, Z., & Konner, M. (2020). Emerging adulthood, a pre-adult life-history stage. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 10(1), 1-17. Web.