MEMORIES IN THE MAKING

Alzheimer's disease, a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain's nerve cells resulting in loss of memory, thinking and language skills, and behavioral changes, is estimated to effect nearly 5.1 million Americans above the age of 65 and nearly a half million younger than age 65 are said to have some form of dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA). Researchers have found that with our aging population the number of individuals with the disease has continued to increase for several years now.

Although researchers are continuously testing for treatments of the disease there is still no current cure for Alzheimer’s. Scientists have been testing the effectiveness of various drug therapies that will control a variety of symptoms that will slow or reduce mental and behavioral symptoms and prevent the disease. With no end in sight we turn to alternative measures to find comfort for those suffering from the disease.

For Alzheimer’s patients the world around them has grown confusing, overwhelming, and uncomfortable but with the help of paper, paint, and a brush individuals gain back comfort through a canvas. Organizations throughout the country offer supportive art classes with a trained art facilitator that guides patients through the making. The end result is a sense of accomplishment and pride that individuals were able to take back control an aspect of their life.

The Alzheimer’s Association (AA) offers a program that gives people with dementia the ability to paint their thoughts, emotions, and memories. Often times Alzheimer’s patients will become isolated, quite, and unfocused due to their lack of understanding their previous life. The program sponsored through AA is said to improve self esteem, increase attention span and focus, activate neurons, reduce isolation, and tap into pockets of memory that still exist in the mind. Patients will find themselves illustrating a past memory often without realizing they are doing so. In hopes of aiding patients you will find many nursing homes, assisted living communities, and rehabilitation centers throughout the country now offer some sort of creative release program.

A 2013 neurological study by Dr. Luis Fornazzari, revealed that individuals with dementia could still draw familiar people, places, and objects from memory. The study proved a patient with severe dementia that was toward the end of her life and could no longer complete everyday tasks, could still sketch people from her past as well as objects she confronted minutes prior.

Scientists are still understanding what exactly the art making process does to the brain leading to improvement of memory. Currently it is understood that creative therapies engage parts of the brain that are not used for language. The making of art may bypass the neurological processes that are blocked by the progression of Alzheimer’s, suggesting that cognitive skills are not directly linked to our actual memories and thoughts. Doctors have also found that the brain gradually learns to associate certain sounds and sights with specific emotions and art actually strengthens the brain’s ability to recall these associations, because each time a specific sense triggers a specific memory, patients are able to connect with their past.

When Alzheimer’s patients find it has now become difficult to communicate their feelings, art provides a way of nonverbal communication that provides a sense of comfort. According to Dr. Kevin Kirkland, “The days of believing that persons with Alzheimer’s disease are not capable of living better—of learning, growing, engaging in creativity and fun—need to be challenged.”