Brain maturation in adolescence: concurrent changes in neuroanatomy and neurophysiology
Open accessAbstract
Adolescence to early adulthood is a period of dramatic transformation in the healthy human brain. However, the relationship between the concurrent structural and functional changes remains unclear. We investigated the impact of age on both neuroanatomy and neurophysiology in the same healthy subjects (n = 138) aged 10 to 30 years using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and resting electroencephalography (EEG) recordings. MRI data were segmented into gray and white matter images and parcellated into large‐scale regions of interest. Absolute EEG power was quantified for each lobe for the slow‐wave, alpha and beta frequency bands. Gray matter volume was found to decrease across the age bracket in the frontal and parietal cortices, with the greatest change occurring in adolescence. EEG activity, particularly in the slow‐wave band, showed a similar curvilinear decline to gray matter volume in corresponding cortical regions. An inverse pattern of curvilinearly increasing white matter volume was observed in the parietal lobe. We suggest that the reduction in gray matter primarily reflects a reduction of neuropil, and that the corresponding elimination of active synapses is responsible for the observed reduction in EEG power. Hum Brain Mapp, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
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Frontal and parietal cortical gray matter volume decreases across 5-30 years and exhibits curvilinear trajectories closely correlated with loss of slow-wave power in the same areas.
“Interestingly, frontal and parietal cortical gray matter (but not white matter) volume decreases across this same age bracket, and exhibits curvilinear trajectories that are closely correlated to the loss of slow-wave power in these same areas (Buchmann et al., 2011; Smit et al., 2012; Whitford et al., 2007).”
From Development of large-scale functional networks from birth to adulthood: A guide to the neuroimaging literature (2017) · cites this paper as Whitford et al., 2007
These coincident trajectories support the hypothesis that developmental changes in baseline electrophysiological signatures may primarily be subserved by reduction of neuropil and progressive synapse elimination.
“These coincident trajectories have provided key support for the hypothesis that developmental changes in baseline electrophysiological signatures may primarily be subserved by reduction of neuropil and progressive synapse elimination (Buchmann et al., 2011; Smit et al., 2012; Whitford et al., 2007).”
From Development of large-scale functional networks from birth to adulthood: A guide to the neuroimaging literature (2017) · cites this paper as Whitford et al., 2007
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- Authors
- Whitford, T. J., Rennie, C. J., Grieve, S. M., Clark, C. R., Gordon, E., & Williams, L. M.
- Affiliations
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Flinders University (AU)
- Venue
- Human Brain Mapping
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2007-02-13
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 228-237
- ISSN
- 1065-9471 (ISSN-L)
- 1097-0193
- PMC
- PMC6871488
- OpenAlex
- W2110010422
- Cited by
- 391
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 20
- FWCI
- 5.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Human Brain Mapping (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Flinders Academic Commons (Flinders University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Macquarie University
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
- Keywords
- brain maturation, adolescence, gray matter volume, white matter volume, EEG spectral power, slow-wave activity, alpha and beta bands, neuropil, synaptic pruning, cortical development, age-related changes
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Brain, Brain Mapping, Child, Electroencephalography, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male
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