A study shows how engaging in arts and crafts can help elderly people avoid dementia.

For the Mayo Clinic Study of Ageing, published in the journal Neurology last month, 256 people aged from 85 to 89 years with normal cognitive functions first filled out questionnaires about their typical activities when they were 50 and also during the year prior to the study. Researchers then extracted the participants’ health histories from medical records.

For a period of four years, the participants also completed mental status check-ups every 15 months: these check-ups included tests of memory, language, visual-spatial skills, reasoning and problem-solving.

The earlier people start to engage in continued education, as well as arts and crafts activities, the better

During the study, which was conducted by the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, the US, 121 of the 256 participants developed memory deficits – however, these deficits did not affect their daily functioning. On the other hand, those participants who said they had engaged in arts, crafts like sculpting, or social activities like travel during their midlife were about half as likely to develop mild cognitive impairment as those who did not.

“Based on these results, using your brain for cognitive and social activities seems to preserve cognitive function or keep the neurons stimulated,” the study’s lead author Rosebud Roberts told Reuters.

The study shows that the earlier people start to engage in continued education as well as arts and crafts activities, the better.

“People who are older can still gain benefit from these activities but the earlier people start and continue through late life, the stronger the benefits they are likely to reap,” Roberts added.