Creativity delays brain ageing

How to keep your brain in good shape? It is a good idea to regularly engage in creative activities, such as dancing, painting, or even playing certain computer games. Such activities are associated with delayed brain ageing, and the greater the experience, the stronger this association, scientists, including researchers from SWPS University, observed in an international study.

The conclusions from the study, published in the journal Nature Communications, could translate into specific actions in the field of public health. They suggest the need to incorporate creative activities (e.g., artistic, musical) into educational programs and healthcare systems as a promising tool for supporting brain health and societal well-being, says Aneta Brzezicka, PhD, a professor at SWPS University, psychologist, and co-author of the study.

Creativity manifests not only in art

Creativity, or the ability to produce novel ideas or solutions using one's imagination, most often refers to music and art, but it turns out that playing certain video games can also stimulate it. For example, strategy games like StarCraft II require users to be resourceful in developing unique tactics, adaptive problem-solving, and personalised playstyles.

It has been known for some time that creativity and creative activities have a positive impact on brain health. However, available scientific research on this topic focuses on the effects of creative experiences on cognitive processes and well-being, which is why, as part of an international study, scientists decided to provide evidence of the impact of creative activities on brain health.

Brain clocks and age gap

As part of the study, the researchers analysed neuroimaging data and surveys from over 1,400 participants from 13 countries (including Turkey, Italy, Cuba, Argentina, Canada, Germany, and Poland), among them individuals who could be described as experts in a given creative field. Dancers (tango), musicians, visual artists, and action game players, including inexperienced players, were included. In one of the studies, participants' brain activity was measured before and after several weeks of training in StarCraft II.

The researchers used advanced computational models, so-called brain clocks, which attempt to estimate a person's "brain age" based on neuroimaging data. They are used in scientific research on a variety of brain diseases. These models compare predicted brain age with chronological age, estimating the so-called brain-age gap (BAG), which reflects accelerated or delayed brain ageing. Accelerated ageing (and therefore larger positive BAGs) is observed in psychiatric and neurological conditions, but also in people exposed to certain physical and social factors and leading unhealthy lifestyles.

Creativity supports brain health

The study authors found that people more engaged in creative activities, from dance and music to visual arts and playing computer games, tended to have a younger "brain age", suggesting that such activities may help delay brain ageing and support healthy brain function. The link between creativity and brain health was independent of the type of creative activity.

All the analysed activities are associated with stimulating imagination and generating new solutions. Although they differ in form, they work in a similar way and may help maintain neural connections that are most vulnerable to weakening with age. The study shows that these activities support key functions, including motor control, coordination, and attention.

Creative experiences increased the plasticity of brain regions susceptible to ageing, as well as areas associated with creative processes. The study shows that creative experiences are associated with higher local and global brain network efficiency (especially in the frontoparietal hubs), which translates into more efficient information processing in those key regions, explains psychologist Natalia Kowalczyk-Grębska, PhD, whose doctoral dissertation defended at SWPS University contributed to the new research.

Greater experience, younger brain

People who have spent years developing their skills in creative fields such as dance, music, art, or playing real-time strategy games had, on average, a more "youthful" brain-age profile compared to those with less experience in these activities. This means that long-term practice related to creativity may be more effective in promoting neural plasticity and brain health than short-term experiences.

Although regular creative activity has been shown to help maintain a "younger" brain, in this study, even several weeks of targeted training (around 30 hours in total) were linked to measurable changes in brain-age indicators. Effects of delayed brain ageing were observed across all creative domains studied, especially among more experienced individuals, with similar but smaller effects in participants undergoing short-term training.

These results indicate that it is a good idea to regularly tap into our creative potential, be it through dancing, painting, or immersing ourselves in the world of computer games. Such activities are associated with slower brain ageing, making them one of the simple, everyday ways to support brain health and - indirectly - our well-being, Brzezicka concludes.

The paper describing the study, “Creative experiences and brain clocks” was published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications. The following researchers were involved in the study: Aneta Brzezicka, PhD, a professor at SWPS University and psychologist from the Institute of Psychology at SWPS University; Natalia Kowalczyk-Grębska, PhD, a psychologist who defended her doctorate at SWPS University; and Natalia Jakubowska, PhD, a psychologist from the Faculty of Psychology at SWPS University in Warsaw.