Where art meets neuroscience: a new horizon of art therapy

Where art meets neuroscience: a new horizon of art therapy Advances in human brain imaging help us evaluate brain functions from many perspectives. We can define structural brain differences between individuals with various disorders, such as adult schizophrenia (1) and childhood, autistic-spectrum disorders (2). From these studies, we can posit hypotheses regarding structure, and how structure relates to symptoms. However, often we find it difficult to assign causality to such findings. For example, we can ask whether structural anomalies cause the symptoms or whether symptoms drive the abnormal brain structures. Nevertheless, we can confidently say that the brain's structure changes as a consequence of illness and activity, eg, imaging data show that with proper rehabilitation, an injured brain rewires and recovers its function (3). We label this process " brain plasticity. " Various fields use the concept of brain plasticity. One such very exciting, emerging field involves the study of art and the brain, or art therapy (4). Originally, art therapy used pure art concepts, void of scientific inquiry. Now, slowly, it is embracing scientific thinking by using abundant neuroscientific data and the objective tools of scientific investigation. For years, we recognized that art-making allowed one to reframe experiences, reorganize thoughts, and gain personal insights that often enhanced one's quality of life. Art therapy has gained popularity because it combines free artistic expression with the potential for significant therapeutic intervention. Although based on subjective data and testimonies, various artistic disciplines have helped patients with diverse disorders that include developmental or acquired, medical, and/or psychiatric conditions (5,6). To utilize nonstandard, medical therapies within the well-established medical model, we must demonstrate the utility and efficacy of novel tools and approaches. The scientific method is one way we can demonstrate that art and art therapy modify the brain's physiology and structure and lead to a more flexible, adaptable individual. Moreover, if we want to validate non-standard approaches, such as art therapy, we need more studies to assess their effects on brain function. As we might imagine, it is very difficult to define art and its optimal therapeutic uses. Naturally, as a new field, art therapy is trying to define its territory and claim its domain within brain science. To gain acceptance and credibility from the medical establishment, art therapy is, seemingly, hoping to assign unique artistic processes to specific brain structures, but the specific brain effects of the artistic process are difficult to …