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Science Spinning

An Irish spin on science by the award-winning journalist, Seán Duke

Ageing, dementia, Neuroscience, The Irish Independent

How playing music and video games can help slow brain ageing – new study

Date: October 3, 2025Author: seanduke0 Comments

Researchers in Ireland involved in work on brain ageing and creativity

Taking a dance class, playing a musical instrument, or even taking part in a video game can help people stay sharp into old age.

That’s according to new research by a team of scientists from around the world, including Ireland, in Nature Communications.

Creative activity works best to protect our brains when it is done regularly, said Professor Augustin Ibanez, Global Brain Health Institute at TCD, and one of the co-authors of the study.

“Our findings suggest that three to six hours of creative activity represents a meaningful threshold for observing measurable brain benefits,” said Professor Ibanez.

“A single monthly session may lift mood and spark imagination, but it is unlikely to build thee long-term plasticity needed to delay ageing.”

“Creativity protects the brain most when it is a consistent habit over time, not just an occasional spark.”

The findings arose from brain recordings of 1,200 people engaged in creative activities in 13 countries.

The scientists found that those who took part in activities such dance, music, gaming and visual arts felt better generally, and had younger ‘brain profiles’ than people who didn’t.

As a younger man, Professor Ibanez travelled around Europe, playing guitar, performing in different cities.

“Music helped me cope with ADHD, gave me a focus, and allowed me to enter flow states that reduced stress.”

“Later, as a neuroscientist, I became fascinated by how these same creative experiences can ground us in the present, calm our bodies, reduce stress and protect our brains.”

This research is the first clear biological evidence that sustained creativity keeps our brains younger, more adaptable and more resilient against decline.

In previous research there were hints that artists and musicians had healthier-than-average brains, but, until now, the biological evidence wasn’t definitive.

The study defined creativity as the ability to produce ideas, actions or solutions that are new and effective in areas like music, dance, art, and gaming.

The scientists found that as little as 30 hours of creativity activity over a few weeks could make a measurable impact on brain health.

The researchers developed ‘brain clocks’ using two brain wave scanning technologies – electroencephalogram (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) – to estimate a person’s brain age relative to their actual, chronological age.

An EEG records the electrical activity of the brain using small sensors, or electrodes, placed on a person’s scalp, while MEG detects magnetic fields produced by the brain’s electricity.

A younger-than-expected brain clock indicates slower brain ageing, and, using mathematics and by comparing brain imaging data, this was what was consistently found by researchers in creative people.

The researchers found that creativity boosts communication speed and efficiency between brain regions, and reinforces key networks involved in memory, attention, emotion and motor control.

Interestingly, they also found that some creative activities were better for brain health than others.

For example, StarCraft II, a real-time strategy game requiring an ability to improvise and adapt, improved brain efficiency among regular players, while more rule-bound games, that had less room for creativity, such as Hearthstone, showed no such effects.

The best creative activity for any given individual, said Prof Ibanez, is one that they enjoy most, and can sustain. “Creativity is not the reserve of the artistic elite; it belongs to everyone.”

Brian Lawlor, Professor of Old Age Psychiatry at TCD, an expert on dementia and a co-author of the research, said he was excited by the findings.

“Creative practices stimulate the brain, build reserves and reduce the risk of dementia,” said Professor Lawlor.

Art and music, in particular, lower anxiety, reduce loneliness and foster social connection, said Prof Lawlor, and are crucial to brain and mental health.

Some doctors and community organisations have championed ‘social prescribing’ – the use of creative practices as routine care for older adults, especially those at risk of isolation or depression.

This latest study, said Prof Lawlor, provides hard evidence to support the idea that creativity rejuvenates the brain at any age.

The researchers said that these findings should prompt changes in how arts and culture are viewed by wider society.

Prof Ibanez said that creativity should be recognised as “public health tool, not a luxury” and schools, workplaces and community centres can help to make creative engagement more accessible.

Public health policy should integrate music, art, dance and creative gaming in every stage of life, he said, from classrooms to elder care.

The potential benefits are enormous, he said, for individual well-being, for reducing the growing risk of dementia as our society ages, and for lowering the huge costs of age-related illness.

“If we can delay the onset of accelerated brain ageing by even a few years, the impact on public health would be transformative, saving billions and reducing the burden on families and care systems,” said Prof Ibanez.

Published in the Irish Independent 3/10/’25

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