Rijksmuseum to Partner with Researchers into the Health Benefits of Art

"Since the 1970s physicians have known that some people with the progressive movement disorder Parkinson's Disease felt more creative following the onset of the disease. A few years ago, this curious fact spurred a research team in the Netherlands to carry out a long-term study-one that now includes a partnership with Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum -of the relationship between creativity and better health outcomes for Parkinson's patients."

"Between March 2021 and March 2022, Blanca Spee, a neuroscientist at Radboudumc medical center in Nijmegen; Bas Bloem, the director of the Centre of Expertise for Parkinson and Movement Disorders at Radboudumc; epidemiologist Sirwan Darweesh; and artist Marjoke Plijnaer followed 800 Parkinson's patients, looking for changes in creativity. The researchers found that 41 percent of the study's participants self-reported creativity changes: 12 percent experienced an increase, 22 percent a decrease, and 7 percent fluctuations."

"Building on this conclusion, the team then set up what they called a "creative playground" where, over the course of 10 weeks, eight subjects were invited to explore different creative practices such as painting, music making, and writing. Their findings, published this past January, confirmed that the participants overall reported less anxiety and an increased sense of well-being. The researchers also noted a slight improvement in cognitive function and fewer visits to healthcare providers."

A long-term Netherlands study tracked 800 Parkinson's patients between March 2021 and March 2022 to observe changes in creativity. Forty-one percent of participants reported creativity changes: 12 percent increases, 22 percent decreases, and 7 percent fluctuations, with dopamine agonist users more likely to report increases. A subsequent 10-week creative program invited eight participants to engage in painting, music, and writing, yielding reduced anxiety, improved well-being, slight cognitive gains, and fewer healthcare visits. Bas Bloem received the Michael J. Fox Foundation Pritzker Prize with a $200,000 grant for work on holistic Parkinson's care.

Read at ARTnews.com