Headline: Strategy Video Games Could Slow Brain Aging — and the Science Is Getting Serious A surprising set of studies suggests the brain’s version of “HODLing” might be a long-running strategy game. Researchers publishing in Nature Communications in 2025 report that people who regularly engage in demanding creative activities — including complex video games, music, dance and visual arts — show brain activity patterns that make their neural “age” look significantly younger than their calendar years. The study, led by Carlos Coronel and Agustin Ibanez, used EEG and MEG scans plus machine-learning models to estimate each participant’s biological brain age. On average, experienced gamers and artists had brains that appeared 4 to 7 years younger than non-experts. Coronel even flagged the work on social media after it was picked up by The Washington Post. To move beyond correlation, the team ran a controlled intervention. Non-gamers were assigned about 30 hours of training on StarCraft II, a fast-paced real-time strategy game that taxes multitasking, planning and rapid attention shifts. After several weeks, these new players showed measurable slowing of brain aging and gains in brain efficiency. By contrast, a control group that played the turn-based card game Hearthstone showed no significant cognitive improvement. That divergence points to the importance of complexity and real-time decision-making — not just any gaming — in driving benefits. Other studies back the idea that gaming can preserve cognition. Researchers at Western University found frequent gamers performed on cognitive tests as if they were roughly 13.7 years younger than non-gamers. But experts warn this is not a miracle cure: improved cognitive metrics don’t automatically translate into better mental-health outcomes. The Western University team noted gaming didn’t provide the same reductions in depression or anxiety often linked to physical exercise. Taken together, the emerging consensus treats the brain like a muscle that benefits from varied, high-load workouts. Action and strategy games appear to engage attention and decision-making networks — the very circuits that tend to decline first with age. For professionals in tech and crypto who prize quick thinking and strategic planning, these findings offer a practical, low-cost way to give the brain a demanding, targeted workout — while reminding us that broader health benefits still require a balanced approach. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

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