The geometry of change

A Nature Communications study identified five distinct structural phases of human brain development, refuting the gradual decline model. Using advanced mathematical topology to analyze network organization, researchers detected topological turning points separating the epochs: Early Childhood (rapid growth), Adolescence (intense refinement), Adult Mode (stable, starts ~30), Early Aging (reorganization, starts ~66), and Late Aging (final remodeling, starts ~83). This "five-epoch" model offers a new framework to assess topological age, improving diagnosis and prediction of neurodegenerative conditions.