Recent results from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging indicate that people who did arts and crafts in middle age are less likely to develop memory problems in old age if they continue the activities.

The Mayo researchers report that elderly people who engaged in midlife arts and crafts, as well as social activities such as book clubs or travel, were about half as likely to have cognitive impairments as those who did not.

Brain-stimulating activities help build new brain connections and strengthen old connections, the researchers explain.  Reuters reports on the study, which appears in the medical journal Neurology.