Visual Arts Interventions With Older Adults
- Conditions
- Feasibility Study
- Registration Number
- NCT06645652
- Lead Sponsor
- Northeastern University
- Brief Summary
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.
- Detailed 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.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- NOT_YET_RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 50
- 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
- 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
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Feasibility - completion rate Throughout training and post-test 6-8 weeks later % of participants who completed both testing sessions
Feasibility - adherence Throughout training and post-test 6-8 weeks later % of lessons that participants completed, from 0-6
Feasibility - frequency Throughout training and post-test 6-8 weeks later Frequency: times a week that participants completed training, 0-7 for days practiced each week
Feasibility - attrition Throughout training and post-test 6-8 weeks later Attrition reason: participants withdrawing will select from one of 5 options or 'other' to record the reason for withdrawing
Acceptability - value Throughout training and post-test 6-8 weeks later Perceived value of the course content, likert scale 1-5
Acceptability - clarity Throughout training and post-test 6-8 weeks later Perceived clarity on the course content, likert scale 1-5
Acceptability - engagement Throughout training and post-test 6-8 weeks later Level of engagement with the course materials, likert scale 1-5
Change in Drawing skills Pre-test (baseline) and post-test 6-8 weeks later Participants will have 5 minutes to draw a photograph. Accuracy is scored using two methods: angle error at defined points of intersection and a rubric assessing accuracy on global and local features. Both ratings are averaged into a composite z-score, as well as looked at separately.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change in Perception - contour integration Pre-test (baseline) and post-test 6-8 weeks later Participants tap on circles of aligned Gabors embedded in a scene of randomly oriented Gabors. A circle will be present for 3 seconds and switch to the next trial if it is not seen. Number of circles spotted, reaction times on spotted circle, and lowest level of alignment will be recorded. Z-scores will be calculated.
Change in Perception - visual disembedding Pre-test (baseline) and post-test 6-8 weeks later Participants search for a target shape in 3 complex gestalts of overlapping shapes. Participants select the complex shape containing the target. Response times and accuracy are measured. Z-scores will be calculated.
Change in Visuospatial Reasoning - construction and memory Pre-test (baseline) and post-test 6-8 weeks later Complex Figures Copy and Recall will assess visuospatial construction and memory (10 min). Participants will complete three sets of drawing complex shapes from observation and memory after a block of word learning. Accuracy will be scored using a validated rubric.
Change in Visuospatial Reasoning - mental transformation Pre-test (baseline) and post-test 6-8 weeks later 3D Mental Rotation (3 min) will test mental transformation. Participants will be briefly shown two figures and asked to determine whether the figures are the same or mirror reversed. Mean and SD reaction time per angular disparity and errors per angular disparity will be extracted.
Change in Attention Pre-test (baseline) and post-test 6-8 weeks later A Rule switch task will measure set shifting. Participants will sort shapes by color or shape. Performance will be calculated as the response times on accurate switch trials.
Change in Mindfulness Pre-test (baseline) and post-test 6-8 weeks later Participants complete a version Solloway Mindfulness Survey adapted to drawing. The questionnaire includes 30 questions on a 7-point scale on the degree to which engaging in drawing is related to different aspects of mindful attention.
Change in Mental Wellbeing Pre-test (baseline) and post-test 6-8 weeks later Mental Wellbeing is assessed by the WEMWBS, which includes 14 questions on a 5 point scale about positive mental wellbeing.