section_path: Cognitive development/Improvements in cognitive ability
section_name: Improvements in cognitive ability
paragraph_text: Improvements in cognitive ability
  
  By the time individuals have reached ages 12–14 or so their critical thinking and decision-making competency are comparable to those of adults. These improvements occur in five areas during adolescence:
  
  Studies newer than 2005 indicate that the brain is changing in efficiency well past its twenties, a 'point of maturity' in the twenties is somewhat arbitrary as many important parts of the brain are noted to be mature by 14 or 15, making 'maturity' hard to define and has often been disagreed with.
  
  Prefrontal cortex pruning has been recorded to level off by age 14 or 15, and has been seen to continue as late as into the sixth decade of life. White matter is recorded to increase up until around the age of 45, and then it is lost via progressive aging. If myelination continues into one's forties and fifties, shedding doubt on the claim that the brain completes its development in the twenties.