Art and the brain

An article in this morning’s New York Times describes the effect that a visit to an art museum has on people with Alzheimer’s: they seem to be able to appreciate art on some very visceral level, and some are actually able to speak more fluently when they are discussing the art on the wall. The article also notes that “exposure to music can even result in lowered dosages for patients being medicated for cognitive and emotional disorders.”

In a previous post, I wrote about my father, who has a pretty advanced case and can’t relate to much these days, but is fascinated by old comic strips. Initially, he had a very strong emotional response; the old strips seemed to bring something back to him. Now his interest has switched to a set of old illustrated readers, the same books he used in grade school in the 1930s. He can sit and look at them for hours, reading the text but mainly looking at the pictures. He often tells me “This book is a part of me.” He still delights in classical music–we play Mozart, Handel, and Vivaldi for him. As his world dwindles down, and the simplest things in everyday life get more frustrating, it’s nice to be able to offer him some simple, effortless pleasures.

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