Brain Still Maturing After Age 18

There has been several studies indicating that the full development of the brain is reached at a much later age than we initially thought. Previously, scientists and researchers believed that the brain and it's cognitive abilities reached maturity at age 12. A long-term research study by Dr. Jay Giedd indicates that the age of full maturity of the brain is more accurately around age 25. Actually he indicates that the brain does not grow much during childhood. By the time a child is 6, it is 90% to 95% of its adult size. As a matter of fact, we are born equipped with most of the neurons our brain will ever have--and that's fewer than we have in utero. You could say, teens still have alot of growing up to do!