New study shows that being creative can help keep the brain younger

Creative experiences such as dancing, painting and gaming were linked to younger-looking brains, researchers found. By Carlos Coronel and Agustín Ibáñez

- Carlos Coronel and Agustín Ibáñez

Creative experience might enhance brain health, which could slow down the brain's ageing.

That's according to a study by a group of international scientists in 13 countries. They found that creative activities like dance — the tango proved particularly effective — or art classes, music lessons or a hobby like gaming had a positive impact on an artificial intelligence (AI) “brain clock”. And the more the participant practised their art form, the “younger” their brain clocks were.

We asked the lead researchers, neuroscientists Carlos Coronel and Agustín Ibáñez, to explain their study.

What is brain health?

Brain health is the state of cognitive, emotional and social functioning that allows people to realise their potential, maintain their wellbeing and adapt to changes across the course of life. It is not defined by the absence of disease but by the brain's ability to sustain efficient, resilient and integrated activity that supports everyday life.

Brain ageing is the biological and functional changes that happen in the brain over time. It includes changes in structure, connectivity and metabolism that may or may not impair performance. Although some decline is natural, the rate and pattern of these changes vary greatly between individuals, reflecting both vulnerability and resilience.

“Brain clocks” are machine learning (AI) models designed to estimate how old a brain looks, based on brain scans or neural activity patterns. They compare neuroimaging, electrophysiological or neuromolecular data to normal brain patterns across the lifespan.

So, by using a brain clock we can try to understand what makes a brain more resilient and what ages it faster.

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