Aug 26, 2010

Creativity and dementia

"Even though our brains age, it doesn't diminish our ability to create," Dr. Bruce Miller.

The following is copied from The Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Newsletter: "Dr. Bruce Miller of the University of California at San Francisco has been a key person in drawing attention to the creative abilities in some individuals with frontotemporal dementia. He has pioneered research recognizing that degeneration in the left side of the brain may limit language but may actually enhance and release musical or artistic abilities. His work moved him to realize just how much creativity exists in dementia patients.

Over the past decade, more and more research has demonstrated the benefits of the arts for older persons especially those with cognitive decline such as memory loss due to Alzheimer's, as well as other causes of dementia. At a forum held at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, in November 2006, leading researchers acknowledged that although more research was needed in the area of creativity, the benefits of creativity for those impacted by dementia were undeniable."

Suggestions for creativity in the article include yoga and doing art forms such as painting, drawing, dancing. The benefits can be significant.

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