Visual Arts Interventions With Older Adults

Northeastern University

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Feasibility Study

Treatments: Behavioral: Arts engagement through digital galleries; Behavioral: Training in observational drawing

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06645652

NU-DS-20241011

Details and patient eligibility

About

The present study investigates the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of a novel visual arts-based intervention in an older adult population. In a randomized controlled design, two arts-based interventions will be evaluated with a group of 50 participants.

Full description

A two-arm randomized controlled study will be conducted to obtain within-group ratings of feasibility and acceptability, as well as between-group differences in drawing skills after training. In the drawing intervention, participants will learn and train drawing skills through exercises that target attention, perception, and visuospatial reasoning. In the active control condition, participants will navigate virtual art galleries. Both interventions will be completed remotely and at home. Participants will complete in-lab assessment sessions before and after the training.

Each intervention consists of 6 weeks of training for up to 2 hours a week, including up to 1 hour of a self-guided lesson and prompted daily drawing practice adding up to 1 hour in the drawing intervention and 2 1-hour sessions of virtual gallery exploring per week in the arts appreciation intervention. The pre-test is administered within one week of the start of training and the post-test is administered within one week of training completion.

Enrollment: 50 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 55 to 85 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 55-85 years of age
• Able to understand and speak English and follow study procedures
• Does not have a psychological or neurological condition that would prevent from being able to give consent to participate
• Less than 2 years of formal visual arts training

Exclusion criteria

• Formal diagnosis of dementia or other neurological disease, including Mild Cognitive Impairment
• A final score below 17 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment - Blind (phone) version
• Abnormal visual acuity prohibitive of tablet-based training
• Physical handicap (motor or perceptual) that would impede training procedures
• Medical illness requiring treatment and/or significant absences during the study timeline

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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50 participants in 2 patient groups

Participatory Arts

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will develop drawing skills through learning specific techniques and deliberately engaging cognitive domains such as perception, visuospatial reasoning, attention, and processing speed. The intervention is completed in a hybrid format where lessons are completed online and practice is completed in a sketchbook and drawing things from life. Prompts are provided to guide daily practice sessions. Techniques learned include contour drawing, gesture drawing, negative space drawing.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Training in observational drawing

Receptive Arts

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants will learn about different art periods and browse online galleries. The materials will be available online through a website through which participants will access and browse online galleries. Weekly topics include genres, subjects, or specific mediums. Prompts and vocabulary will accompany the galleries to guide their learning.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Arts engagement through digital galleries