WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Researchers have created a new way to estimate how fast a person's brain is aging compared to their actual age. This method, called a 'brain clock,' works like a fitness tracker, but instead of measuring heart rate or steps, it looks at brain activity to estimate biological brain age.
A study published in Nature Communications used this brain clock to explore whether creativity can keep the brain young. The researchers studied brain data from 1,472 people across 13 countries, comparing experts and non-experts in four creative areas- dance, music, visual arts, and gaming. In every category, experts' brains looked four to seven years younger than those of non-experts.
Normally, if someone's brain age matches their actual age, it means they are aging typically. A higher brain age means faster aging, often linked to neurological diseases. A lower brain age means the brain is staying healthier than average.
To measure this, the team used EEG and MEG scans, which recorded brain signals and showed how different regions of the brain communicate. These brain connection patterns were then used to calculate each person's brain age.
The study found that creative experts had stronger connections in brain regions that usually weaken with age, suggesting creativity may help protect those areas. Different activities activated slightly different brain networks, but all involved regions linked to movement, coordination, rhythm, visual processing, and decision-making.
In short, the study suggests that staying creative, whether through art, dance, music, or gaming, could help keep the brain younger and more resilient as we age.
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