Hobbies and Brain Aging

 Nature news has the scoop on this fascinating study on creative hobbies and brain aging. A sample from the news item:

Overall, all four creative pursuits seemed to delay brain ageing. The more skilled and experienced participants were at their chosen activity, the slower their brain aged. This anti-ageing effect was strongest in expert tango dancers, whose brains were, on average, seven years younger than their chronological age. Tango’s cognitively demanding mix of complex movement sequences, coordination and planning makes it a particularly good activity for keeping the brain young, says Ibáñez.

And the study's abstract:

Creative experiences may enhance brain health, yet metrics and mechanisms remain elusive. We characterized brain health using brain clocks, which capture deviations from chronological age (i.e., accelerated or delayed brain aging). We combined M/EEG functional connectivity (N = 1,240) with machine learning support vector machines, whole-brain modeling, and Neurosynth metanalyses. From this framework, we reanalyzed previously published datasets of expert and matched non-expert participants in dance, music, visual arts, and video games, along with a pre/post-learning study (N = 232). We found delayed brain age across all domains and scalable effects (expertise>learning). The higher the level of expertise and performance, the greater the delay in brain age. Age-vulnerable brain hubs showed increased connectivity linked to creativity, particularly in areas related to expertise and creative experiences. Neurosynth analysis and computational modeling revealed plasticity-driven increases in brain efficiency and biophysical coupling, in creativity-specific delayed brain aging. Findings indicate a domain‑independent link between creativity and brain health.

Cheers, 

Colin 

 

Sleep Science

Nature news has a nice item on the latest from the science of sleep.  I would place the science of sleep on my top 5 areas of science to follow, behind science on aging, play, personality traits and happiness.  A sample from the news item:

This timekeeping machinery ensures that physiological systems are primed to do the right things at the right times — such as defend against pathogens, digest food and sleep. But circadian clocks don’t cycle precisely on their own. To stay in sync and function optimally, they need regular calibration from sunlight, daily routines and other cues.

Modern life doesn’t often cooperate. People spend much of their time indoors. They eat late into the night. They shift sleep schedules between workdays and weekends, effectively jet-lagging themselves. The toll is steep. In the short term, circadian disruption and insufficient sleep can reduce cognition, mood and reaction time. In the long term, they can increase risks of infections, diabetes, depression, dementia, cancer, heart disease and premature death.

For better sleep and overall health, McHill and other scientists emphasize three basics: contrasting light and dark, consolidating mealtimes and keeping sleep times consistent. “Simply taking a walk outside during the day and reducing our light exposure in the evening could have great effect,” says McHill.

Cheers, 

Colin