Carlos Coronel-OliverosJoaquin MigeotFernando LehueLucia AmorusoNatalia Kowalczyk-GrębskaNatalia JakubowskaKanad N. MandkeJoana Pereira SeabraOrio, PatricioPatricioOrioDominic CampbellRaul Gonzalez-GomezPavel PradoJhosmary CuadrosEnzo TagliazucchiJosephine CruzatAgustina LegazVicente MedelHernan HernandezSol FittipaldiFlorencia AltschulerSebastian MoguilnerSandra BaezHernando Santamaria-GarciaAlfredis González-HernándezJasmin Bonilla-SantosBahar GüntekinClaudio BabiloniDaniel AbasoloGaetano Di CaterinaGörsev G. YenerJavier EscuderoJohn Fredy Ochoa-GómezMarcio Soto-AñariMartin A. BrunoPedro A. Valdes-SosaRenato AnghinahRodrigo A. Gonzalez-MontealegreRuaridh A. ClarkAdolfo M. GarcíaLaura KaltwasserMartin SchürmannJil M. MeierAneta BrzezickaRobert WhelanBrian LawlorIan H. RobertsonChristopher BaileyLucia MelloniNisha SajnaniAgustin Ibanez2026-02-242026-02-242025-10-0310.1038/s41467-025-64173-9https://cris-uv-2.scimago.es/handle/123456789/8475<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Creative experiences may enhance brain health, yet metrics and mechanisms remain elusive. We characterized brain health using brain clocks, which capture deviations from chronological age (i.e., accelerated or delayed brain aging). We combined M/EEG functional connectivity (<jats:italic>N</jats:italic> = 1,240) with machine learning support vector machines, whole-brain modeling, and <jats:italic>Neurosynth</jats:italic> metanalyses. From this framework, we reanalyzed previously published datasets of expert and matched non-expert participants in dance, music, visual arts, and video games, along with a pre/post-learning study (<jats:italic>N</jats:italic> = 232). We found delayed brain age across all domains and scalable effects (expertise&gt;learning). The higher the level of expertise and performance, the greater the delay in brain age. Age-vulnerable brain hubs showed increased connectivity linked to creativity, particularly in areas related to expertise and creative experiences. <jats:italic>Neurosynth</jats:italic> analysis and computational modeling revealed plasticity-driven increases in brain efficiency and biophysical coupling, in creativity-specific delayed brain aging. Findings indicate a domain‑independent link between creativity and brain health.</jats:p>journal-article