Researchers from McMaster University have discovered the visual cortex, which was previously thought to mature and stabilize in the first few years of life, actually continues to develop until sometime in the late 30s or early 40s.
Investigators reportedly studied post-mortem brain tissue samples from 30 people ranging in age from 20 days to 80 years, analyzing the proteins that drive the actions of neurons in the visual cortex. While researchers reportedly expected to find the cortex maturing by five to six years of age, they instead found the timeline extended to about the age of 36.
The study was recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
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Source: McMaster University