Journal of Alzheimer s Disease· 2014Q1
Art Therapy for Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias
- 224citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2014year
Short summary
Art therapy may improve neuropsychiatric symptoms, social behavior, and self-esteem in patients with dementia, according to a literature review.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Art therapy can be structured for dementia patients to produce and appreciate visual art.
- Evidence from case studies and small trials suggests art therapy improves attention, pleasure, neuropsychiatric symptoms, social behavior, and self-esteem.
- Pharmacologic treatments for dementia symptoms have limited efficacy.
- The generalizability of art therapy benefits beyond the studio setting is currently unknown.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Patients with dementias commonly experience neuropsychiatric symptoms that diminish their quality of life. Pharmacologic treatments for these symptoms are limited in their efficacy. In the absence of near-future prospects for a cure for degenerative dementias, treatments that improve neuropsychiatric symptoms and quality of life are needed. We explore the hypothesis that art therapy is useful in dementia by reviewing the extant literature. With appropriate structure, patients with dementia can produce and appreciate visual art. Case studies and several small trials suggest that art therapy engages attention, provides pleasure, and improves neuropsychiatric symptoms, social behavior, and self-esteem. Whether these benefits generalize beyond the studio remains unknown. We offer a theoretical framework that motivates the use of art therapy and propose that clinical enquiry to establish methods, assess efficacy, and define optimal conditions for the use of art therapy in Alzheimer's and other dementing disorders is timely.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Alzheimer s Disease, 2014 · DOI ↗
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ConservationArts and Humanities