A team led by Carlos Coronel and Agustín Ibáñez from the Global Brain Health Institute in Dublin and the Latin American Brain Health Institute has shown that creative hobbies delay the biological aging of the brain. In a 2024 study involving 1,467 participants from 13 countries, researchers analyzed brain scans using machine learning. The ‘brain clock’ model compared the biological age of the brain with chronological age. The results? The brains of tango dancers were, on average, seven years younger than their actual age. For musicians, the difference was five to six years. This all unfolded in laboratories and dance halls across several continents. The aim: to find a tangible way to protect the brain from aging. The method? Regular engagement in creative activities [1][2][3].
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The scientific community has long suspected that creative activity helps maintain mental sharpness. But only now, thanks to this international team, is there solid proof. The strongest effects were seen in tango dancers—whose brains appeared seven years younger. Musicians and visual artists also gained an edge over time, and even players of strategic computer games like StarCraft II outperformed the control group. “You don’t have to be da Vinci to benefit. Anyone can gain from a creative hobby” emphasized Ibáñez [2][5][7].
Tango, StarCraft, and Art: How Hobbies Reshape the Brain
The researchers went beyond observation. They set up an experiment with 24 people who had never played computer games before. Over 30 hours, participants learned to play StarCraft II. The result? After a few weeks, their brains showed a younger biological age and better concentration than those training with a simpler game. “You don’t need to be an expert to benefit from creativity. Short sessions are enough” noted Coronel [1][2][3][4].
The greatest protection against neurodegeneration was found in the brain regions most vulnerable to aging: the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and parietal areas. In people involved in creative hobbies, these regions were more interconnected, especially in networks responsible for attention, motor coordination, rhythm, and visual processing. Computer modeling confirmed this: creativity strengthens neural networks and improves connectivity, providing a protective mechanism [2][3][4][5][6][7].
“Creativity is a powerful marker of brain health, on par with physical activity or diet” says Ibáñez. The team suggests that creativity should become an accessible, low-cost preventive method—not just for artists, but for anyone wanting to keep their mind sharp [3][4][7]. Instead of searching for a youth elixir, maybe all it takes is dancing tango or picking up a paintbrush?