True or False:

In brain development, myelination starts occurring at the end of infancy and continues throughout childhood but then becomes complete at the end of adolescence.

Question

True or False:

In brain development, myelination starts occurring at the end of infancy and continues throughout childhood but then becomes complete at the end of adolescence.

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

In evaluating the statement, we need to scrutinize what is claimed about the timeline of brain myelination.
Option 1: True. The claim asserts that myelination starts at the end of infancy, continues through childhood, and is completed by the end of adolescence. This is inaccurate because myelination begins earlier (pre- and perinatal periods) and, importantly, does not finish by adolescence. Different brain regions myelinate at different rates, and several tracts, especially in the frontal lobes, continue to mature into early adulthood, sometimes into the mid-20s. Therefore, labeling the process as complete by the end of adolescence misrepresents the true developmental trajectory.
Option 2: False. The statement is incorrect for the same reasons: myelination begins before birth and extends beyond adolescence, with ongoing maturation well into early adulthood for many neural pathways. This option correctly identifies that the described endpoint (completion at end of adolescence) is not accurate, and it aligns with current neuroscience understanding that myelination is a prolonged, regionally variable process rather than a rigid adolescence-bound timeline.
In sum, the assertion that myelination finishes at the end of adolescence is not supported by evidence; the process continues in various regions beyond adolescence, extending into early adulthood in many cases.

True or False: In brain development, myelination starts occurring at the end of infancy and continues throughout childhood but then becomes complete at the end of adolescence.

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