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