The fountain of youth for your brain could be a strategy video game

The relentless march of time inevitably takes its toll on cognitive functions. Yet emerging research suggests that a surprising countermeasure to neural decline may lie not in a pharmaceutical solution, but in complex, demanding recreational activities, including advanced video games.

This is evident from a 2025 study published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature communicationPeople who are deeply involved in specific “creative” tasks – defined in the study as video games, music, dance and visual arts – have brains that appear significantly younger than their actual chronological age. The findings provide compelling evidence that certain cognitively demanding hobbies can boost neural plasticity and potentially buffer against age-related decline.

The study, led by researchers Carlos Coronel and Agustin Ibanez, used machine learning to analyze brain scans taken via EEG and MEG. By mapping neural activity patterns, the researchers estimate the biological ‘brain age’ for each participant. The results showed that the brains of expert gamers and artists appeared, on average, 4 to 7 years younger than those of non-experts.

To determine whether these activities actually caused the anti-aging effect, rather than simply attracting people with healthier brains, the researchers conducted a controlled experiment. They instructed non-gamers to play StarCraft IIa complex real-time strategy game that requires intense multitasking, planning and rapid attention shifts, for approximately 30 hours over several weeks.

After the training period, these new players showed a measurable slowdown in brain aging and increased brain efficiency.

Crucially, the research found that not all games produce the same results. There was a separate control group Hearthstonea slower, turn-based card game, and showed no significant cognitive benefits. This discrepancy suggests that the complexity and real-time demands of the activity determine the anti-aging benefit. The researchers compare the cognitive load of these complex games with the neural demands associated with learning a new language or musical instrument.

These findings are supported by other recent large-scale research. A separate study from Western University found that frequent gamers performed cognitively as if they were 13.7 years younger than non-gamers.

However, experts note that gaming is not a panacea for overall health. The Western University study found that while cognitive performance metrics improved, gaming did not necessarily provide the same mental health benefits – such as reductions in depression or anxiety – associated with exercise.

The emerging consensus suggests that maintaining neural youth requires treating the brain like a muscle that requires varied and complex workouts. Action and strategy games appear to engage specific brain networks responsible for attention and decision-making and are often the first to decline with age.