Art could help stroke survivors recover better

Washington, Mar 17 (ANI): Stroke survivors who appreciate music, painting and theatre have a significantly higher quality of life than those who don't, according to a new research.

For the study, 192 stroke survivors (average age 70 years) were asked if they liked or did not like art (music, painting, theatre). Quality of life was compared for patients interested in art (105) and patients not interested in art (87).

Patients interested in art had better general health, found it easier to walk, and had more energy. They were also happier, less anxious or depressed, and felt calmer. They had better memory and were superior communicators (speaking with other people, understanding what people said, naming people and objects correctly).

"Stroke survivors who saw art as an integrated part of their former lifestyle, by expressing appreciation towards music, painting and theatre, showed better recovery skills than those who did not," said lead author Dr Ercole Vellone, assistant professor in nursing science at the School of Nursing, University Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.

"In our study the 'art' group of patients showed a comparable clinical picture to the 'no art' group.

"This is important because it means that patients belonging to the 'art' group had a better quality of life independently from the gravity of stroke. The results suggest that art may make long term changes to the brain which help it recover when things go wrong," he said.

Dr Vellone added that "Introducing art into nursing care after stroke could help improve stroke survivors' quality of life".

The research was presented at the 12th Annual Spring Meeting on Cardiovascular Nursing, 16-17 March, in Copenhagen, Denmark. (ANI)