A large-scale international study has provided compelling new evidence that engaging in creative activities can significantly slow the aging process in the brain. The research, which spanned 13 countries, found that pursuits ranging from dancing and painting to playing strategy video games are associated with a younger-appearing brain, suggesting that creativity could be a powerful tool for promoting healthy aging and staving off neurodegeneration.
Published in the journal Nature Communications, the trailblazing study is the first to offer large-scale, direct scientific evidence linking creative engagement with measurable protection of brain health. Researchers found that the more time individuals dedicated to their creative practice, the more pronounced the anti-aging effects were. The findings suggest that creativity’s impact on brain health is comparable to the established benefits of physical exercise or a healthy diet, opening up new possibilities for using creative interventions to protect the brain from the effects of aging and disease.
A Novel Approach to Measuring Brain Health
To quantify the effects of creative pursuits, the scientists employed an innovative technique using what are known as “brain clocks.” These are sophisticated AI models that analyze neural activity to estimate a brain’s biological age, which can differ from a person’s chronological age. The models were trained on brain activity data from approximately 1,240 participants, learning to identify the typical patterns of brain function across the human lifespan.
The difference between the brain’s predicted age and the individual’s actual age is called the brain age gap. A positive gap indicates accelerated aging, where the brain appears older than it is, which has been linked to various neurological and psychiatric conditions. Conversely, a negative gap suggests that the brain is aging more slowly and appears “younger” than the person’s chronological age. By applying this method, the researchers could move beyond subjective reports and gather objective, measurable data on how creative engagement influences the brain’s aging trajectory.
The Study’s Methodology Across Nations
The research was a major international effort, led by neuroscientists Carlos Coronel and Agustín Ibáñez, involving a diverse group of nearly 1,400 participants from 13 different countries. The study was designed to assess both long-term expertise and short-term learning in various creative fields. To achieve this, the team recruited several groups, including expert tango dancers, professional musicians, and visual artists, and compared their brain activity to that of non-experts who were matched for age and other characteristics.
Brain activity was recorded using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG), non-invasive techniques that track the brain’s electrical signals in real time with high precision. This comprehensive dataset allowed the scientists to build robust brain clock models and analyze the underlying neural networks. The study also included an intervention component, where volunteers with no prior experience were trained to play the strategy video game StarCraft II, to determine if even a short period of creative engagement could produce measurable benefits.
Quantifiable Benefits of Creative Pursuits
The results of the study were remarkably consistent across all creative domains, showing a strong correlation between creative engagement and a younger-appearing brain. The protective effects were clear and quantifiable, with the most experienced practitioners showing the most significant slowing of brain aging.
Insights from Long-Term Practice
Individuals with deep expertise in their creative fields displayed the most substantial anti-aging effects. The brains of expert tango dancers, for example, appeared on average more than seven years younger than their chronological age. Professional musicians and visual artists also showed impressive results, with brains that looked five to six years younger. The researchers noted that these expert groups demonstrated stronger connectivity in brain regions that are particularly vulnerable to age-related decline, such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.
Even Short-Term Engagement Shows Promise
A key takeaway from the study is that the benefits of creativity are not limited to lifelong experts. In the part of the study involving video games, participants who underwent 30 hours of training in StarCraft II showed a reduction in their brain age of about two to three years. This finding demonstrates that even short-term, intensive learning in a creative context can induce positive changes in brain function and health. Dr. Carlos Coronel, the study’s first author, emphasized that one does not need to be a professional artist to reap the rewards of creativity.
The Neurological Mechanisms Behind the Benefits
To understand how creativity protects the brain, the research team went beyond simply measuring the brain age gap and used computational models to investigate the underlying biological mechanisms. Their analysis revealed that creative activities enhance the efficiency and connectivity of the brain’s networks. The brains of creative individuals showed stronger and more flexible communication between different regions, particularly those involved in focus, learning, movement control, and coordination.
These improved neural pathways are believed to be the foundation of the anti-aging effect. Essentially, creative practices help to reinforce and rewire the brain’s connections in a way that makes them more resilient to the declines that typically occur with age. The study found that creative engagement was particularly protective of brain regions that are often the first to be affected by neurodegenerative diseases.
Implications for Public Health and Interventions
The findings of this study have significant implications for how we approach brain health and aging on a societal level. The research positions creativity as a crucial public health resource that could be prescribed as a preventative measure, much like diet and exercise. Dr. Agustín Ibáñez, the study’s senior author, stated that creativity emerges as a powerful determinant of brain health.
The study suggests a future where creativity-based interventions are a standard part of promoting healthy aging. Because the benefits are not restricted to experts, accessible creative activities could be widely encouraged to help maintain cognitive function across the lifespan. The research provides a scientific basis for integrating arts and other creative pursuits into public health policies and clinical interventions aimed at preserving brain vitality and combating age-related cognitive decline. The study powerfully reframes artistic engagement not just as a source of cultural enrichment or personal pleasure, but as a biological pathway to a healthier, younger brain.