Conceptual Art for the Aging Brain: Piloting an Art-Based Cognitive Health Intervention

ABSTRACT

Art-based interventions have shown promise in improving quality of life and emotional wellbeing among older adults, but few have focused on improving cognition and reducing dementia risk. The current mixed methods pilot study investigated whether healthy older adults, who participated in a 12-week art-based cognitive health intervention, driven by a Conceptualist art approach, demonstrated improvements in their cognitive functioning and psychosocial wellbeing. Participants were cognitively normal, community-dwelling older adults who completed pre and post cognitive and psychosocial assessments, and qualitative interviews post-intervention. Results revealed statistically significant improvements in executive function, cognitive flexibility (set-switching), and life satisfaction. Qualitative exploration of older adults’ perceived outcomes from the intervention revealed that they experienced ‘Personal Growth and Learning’ from the skills and knowledge gained. Specifically, they reported becoming more open minded and critically engaged, being challenged in positive ways, and gaining a better understanding of cognitive health. Participants also reported that the course material was intellectually stimulating and personally relevant. Connections between quantitative and qualitative findings, and how they should guide future interventions, are discussed. This study supports the need to further explore conceptual art for its associations to dementia risk and wellbeing for older individuals.

KEYWORDS:

• Cognitive health
• aging
• conceptual art
• creative arts
• prevention
• intervention
• mixed methods

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the CSULB Center for Latino Community Health, Evaluation and Leadership Training director Mara Bird, Ph.D. and staff for their help in multiple study phases including recruitment and providing the space for intervention implementation. We would also like to thank staff members of the housing community who helped facilitate recruitment and final art exhibition activities; Jeannette Viveros, BFA, for co-facilitating the intervention; community members for their in-kind contributions of program materials and supplies; and all of the participants for sharing their time and experiences.

Notes

1. ©1948, Beaumont Newhall, ©2018, the Estate of Beaumont and Nancy Newhall. Permission to reproduce courtesy of Scheinbaum and Russek Ltd., Santa Fe, New Mexico.

2. Original photograph by study investigator. Permission to reproduce consented by all participants.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Arts Council for Long Beach [Project Microgrant, 2016; Colette Brown, PI]. Additional support was provided by grants from The National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers: UL1GM118979; TL4GM118980; RL5GM118978 (Guido G. Urizar Jr., PI). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.