Creative hobbies such as music, dance, and art may help keep the brain biologically younger, according to a recent international study involving over 1,400 adults.
A large-scale international study has found that engaging in creative activities like music, dance, painting, and even certain video games can help maintain a biologically younger brain. Researchers from 13 countries, including teams from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland and SWPS University in Poland, analyzed brain data from more than 1,400 adults of various ages worldwide. The study revealed that individuals who regularly engage in creative hobbies exhibit brain patterns that appear younger than their actual age.
The research, published in the journal Nature Communications in October, indicates that even short bursts of creative activity, such as a few weeks of strategy-based video gaming, can yield noticeable benefits. Scientists collected brain data from participants with extensive experience in tango, music, visual art, and strategy gaming, while also including non-experts for comparison. Additionally, a third group of beginners underwent short-term training in the strategy video game StarCraft II to assess how learning a new creative skill impacts the brain within just a few weeks.
All participants underwent EEG and MEG brain scans, which were analyzed using machine-learning models known as “brain age” models or brain clocks. These models estimate the biological age of the brain in comparison to chronological age. The researchers employed advanced computer models to investigate why creativity might protect the brain, discovering that these hobbies strengthen the networks responsible for coordination, attention, movement, and problem-solving—functions that can decline with age.
Individuals with years of creative practice exhibited the most significant reductions in brain age, but even beginners experienced improvements. Notably, strategy games enhanced brain-age markers after approximately 30 hours of training. “One of our key takeaways is that you do not need to be an expert to benefit from creativity,” said Dr. Carlos Coronel, the study’s first author and a postdoctoral fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, and Universidad Adolfo Ibanez. “Indeed, we found that learners gained from brief video game training sessions.”
This study represents the first large-scale evidence directly linking various creative fields to slower brain aging, although previous research has already established connections between creativity and improved mood and well-being. “Creativity emerges as a powerful determinant of brain health, comparable to exercise or diet,” stated senior author Dr. Agustin Ibanez from Trinity College Dublin. “Our results open new avenues for creativity-based interventions to protect the brain against aging and disease.”
Dr. Aneta Brzezicka of SWPS University emphasized that the findings suggest incorporating creative pastimes into educational and healthcare programs could serve as effective tools for supporting brain health. The study also highlighted the potential of brain clocks—a relatively new tool in neuroscience—to monitor interventions aimed at enhancing brain health, according to Ibanez.
However, the researchers cautioned that the results are preliminary and come with limitations. Most participants were healthy adults, many subgroups were small, and the study did not track individuals over the long term to determine whether younger-looking brains correlate with a lower risk of dementia or improved daily functioning.
“The brain clock, in preliminary studies, shows promise and accounts for the diversity of factors contributing to the disparity between brain age and chronological age,” said Dr. Jon Stewart Hao Dy, a board-certified adult neurologist from the Philippines, who was not involved in the study. “However, it’s important for the public to know that brain health is influenced by a multitude of factors that can create a wide brain age gap.”
Researchers noted that creative individuals often enjoy additional advantages, such as higher education, robust social lives, and better access to arts and activities. The study could not fully disentangle these factors from the effects of creativity itself. “Evidence shows that dancing, painting, pottery, embroidery, and even museum visits confer the greatest neuroprotection in preserving cognition and improving cognitive function in older adults,” Dy added.
He further stated that the scientific evidence is compelling enough to warrant action, emphasizing the need to translate these findings into public policy that funds and supports creative programs. The research, funded by academic and public research bodies, will be followed by more comprehensive studies that will explore additional creative fields and link brain-age measures to real-world outcomes, including memory, cognitive skills, and disease risk.
According to Fox News Digital, the study authors have been contacted for further comment.