Congratulations to EngAGE art instructor Collette Brown on the publication of her study, “Conceptual Art for the Aging Brain: Piloting an Art-Based Cognitive Health Intervention.” She observed, “Art-based interventions have shown promise in improving quality of life and emotional well-being among older adults, but few have focused on improving cognition and reducing dementia risk.”
“The Mind is a Muscle II Project” at Long Beach Senior Arts Colony was a 12-week workshop involving twelve seniors that aimed to protect brain health and stave off dementia. In the workshop, seniors learned about the neuroscience of brain plasticity and explored the multiple facets of communication and idea-making. The resulting art show, “Connections,” not only exhibited the tangible product of the participants’ handiwork, but also provided evidence of their less tangible brain work. Neural connections were manifest through connections of language to movement to drawing to sculpture to rhythm. Their work made unexpected connections as the seniors journeyed through the process of thinking about thinking. You can watch a brief video of the show reception here.
Colette also gave a TEDx talk about the subject: the brain is like a muscle — the more you use it, the stronger it gets.
