Archive · 9 Nov 2025
Creative Activities Linked to Younger Brains, New Study Suggests
Imagine your brain has a clock that tells how old it is.
Scientists did a big study with lots of people from different countries.
They found that people who do creative things like dancing, playing music, painting, or playing video games seem to have brains that are younger than their real age.
For example, people who danced the tango had brains that looked more than seven years younger!
Even learning a new game for a little bit made brains seem younger.
This means that being creative might help keep our brains healthy and working well as we get older.
It's like giving your brain a fun workout that keeps it strong and flexible.
So, doing creative activities isn't just fun, it might actually be good for your brain's health.
Creative activities like dancing, music, art, and gaming are linked to a younger brain age, according to a new study.
Participants engaged in tango dancing showed brains that appeared over seven years younger than their chronological age.
Musicians and visual artists had brains approximately five to six years younger, while gamers' brains appeared about four years younger.
Even short-term creative learning, such as 30 hours of a strategy video game, reduced brain age by two to three years.
The study suggests creativity enhances brain health and resilience, potentially delaying brain aging by keeping key brain areas connected and flexible.
- Who
- International scientists led by neuroscientists Carlos Coronel and Agustín Ibáñez.
- What
- A study found that creative activities, such as dancing, music, art, and gaming, are associated with a 'younger' brain age as measured by AI brain clocks.
- When
- The study's findings are recent, and the research involved data collection from participants across different countries.
- Where
- The study was conducted across 13 countries.
- Why
- To investigate if creativity has a biological benefit for the brain and can help delay brain aging, similar to how physical exercise benefits the body.
- Study Scope
- International study across 13 countries involving almost 1,400 participants.
- Creative Activities Examined
- Tango dancing, music, visual arts, gaming (StarCraft II).
- Brain Age Reduction (Tango)
- Over 7 years younger than chronological age.
- Brain Age Reduction (Music/Art)
- 5-6 years younger.
- Brain Age Reduction (Gaming)
- 4 years younger.
- Short-term Training Effect
- 30 hours of StarCraft II training reduced brain age by 2-3 years.
- Researchers
- Carlos Coronel and Agustín Ibáñez.