I didn’t know what to present at my lab’s Journal Club… and I’m making it everyone’s problem.
Like in many labs, each member has to present one paper per semester. But in ours, that’s complicated: we’re a mix of clinical recruiters, wet-lab people, dry-lab analysts, genetics, immunology, Parkinson’s research… Finding a paper that’s useful, interesting, and doesn’t make half of the lab run away is a challenge.
When it was my turn, I refused to present yet another methods paper with 200 UMAPs. I wanted something that would make us think and connect as a team. And I think I found it.
The Paper
The study I presented investigated whether creative experiences — like dancing, playing music, drawing, or gaming — can protect the brain from aging. They used EEG/MEG-based “brain clock” models and applied machine learning, graph theory, and biological modeling in a diverse sample.
They compared brain age gaps (BAGs) between people with different levels of creative experience — including experts vs. non-experts — and also before and after a short creative gaming training.
What Did They Find?
Creative experiences slow down brain aging.
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The effects were strongest in frontoparietal regions, key for attention, coordination, and imagination.
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Neural plasticity and network efficiency explained these benefits.
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The effects were broad — seen across dance, music, visual arts, and gaming.
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Short-term learning can improve brain health.
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BAGs are emerging as a robust marker of brain health.
Why Did It Work in My Lab?
Because everyone — from those in clinical work to those doing network analysis — found something that resonated. Some thought about their patients, others about their own hobbies, and others about how to design more human-centered interventions.
Share!
@DCoP_Innovators and community,
Do you have a paper that made you go, “Wow, more people need to see this”?
I’d love to make a list of papers that deserve to be shared in Journal Clubs or just among curious colleagues.
