Resources
How Art Changes Your Brain: Differential Effects of Visual Art Production and Cognitive Art Evaluation on Functional Brain Connectivity
Research and Studies
Abstract: “Visual art represents a powerful resource for mental and physical well-being. However, little is known about the underlying effects at a neural level. A critical question is whether visual art production and cognitive art …
Arts and Aging: Building the Science
via N | Research and Studies
Summary of a National Academies Workshop “Researching Gaps and Opportunities for Exploring the Relationship of the Arts and Well-Being of Older Americans”
The Social Construction of Old Age in the Modern West: A Literature Review
via Undergraduate Journal of Humanistic Studies | Research and Studies
Like all social processes, the very essence of aging is socially constructed. Our notion of what it means to grow old is constantly shifting, different now in this moment of ‰ŰĎrapid graying‰Űť than in centuries …
Negative Perceptions About Aging Modify the Association Between Frailty and Cognitive Function in Older Adults
via Journal of Personality and Individual Differences | Research and Studies
Older adults who are physically frail have poorer cognition compared to their robust peers. The mechanisms behind this association have yet to be established. Recent research has suggested that self-perceptions of aging are important predictors …
Artist Emerges: Visual Art Learning Alters Neural Structure and Functioning
Research and Studies
How does the brain mediate visual artistic creativity? Here we studied behavioral and neural changes in drawing and painting students compared to students who did not study art. We investigated three aspects of cognition vital …
The Effect of Modified Jazz Dance on Balance, Cognition, and Mood in Older Adults.
via Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (21)2 | Research and Studies
The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the impact of jazz dance class instruction on balance, cognition, and mood (specifically depression) in 13 healthy, community-dwelling, English-speaking older women with a mean age of …
Older Adults Can Learn to Learn New Motor Skills
via Behavioral Brain Research | Research and Studies
Many studies have demonstrated that aging is associated with declines in skill acquisition. In the current study, we tested whether older adults could acquire general, transferable knowledge about skill learning processes. Older adult participants learned …
Aging in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities for Americans
via Health and Retirement Study of University of Michigan | Research and Studies
The Health and Retirement Study is now in its 25th year. With over 3,000 publications reporting on HRS data, this book aims to synthesize some of the research these remarkable data have yielded. The themes …
The Effect of Community-Based Arts Participation on Older Adults’ Well-Being
via The Canadian Journal on Aging | Research and Studies
This mixed-methods study evaluated the effect of a community-engaged arts program on the physical, emotional, and social well-being of seniors. Weekly workshops were offered over a three-year period at community centers where artists worked with …
Impact of Creative Drama Training on Psychological States of Older Adults: An Exploratory Study
via Gerontologist | Research and Studies
The benefits of creative drama as an arts activity for older adults were explored in a 17-session drama workshop. Verbal samples, provided by participants after each midweek workshop session, were content-analyzed to examine changes over …