Brain tissue samples from people of all ages suggest we stop growing new neurons in our early teens
New research suggests that the human brain does not add more neurons to its circuitry once it has reached maturity.
The work, published Wednesday in Nature, contradicts a smattering of earlier studies that found that humans did indeed have the ability to add to their neural networks even after they reached adulthood.
Amar Sahay, a professor at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute who was not involved in the research, said the new findings are sure to make a splash.
"But that's science," he said. "It's not always a straight line from point A to point B. Sometimes it's a winding road."
Researchers have known
