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Enhancing Cognitive Functioning in Dementia Through Art Therapy: A Randomized Trial Based on the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) Framework (Améliorer le fonctionnement cognitif chez les personnes atteintes de démence par l’art-thérapie : Un essai randomisé fondé sur le Continuum des thérapies expressives [CTE])
Heesu J. Jeon, Lisa D. Hinz. Canadian Journal of Art Therapy, 2025-01-02
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
This study (RCT) investigated the impact of Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC)-based art therapy on cognitive function and quality of life among older adults with dementia living in a complex care setting. Over four months, participants underwent 10 art therapy sessions, while an active control group engaged in 10 standard art sessions. Assessments were conducted pre- and post-intervention using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clock Drawing Test (CDT), and the Older People’s Quality of Life (OPQOL-Brief) questionnaires. Results suggested that participants exhibited similar visual expression elements, media preferences, and ETC-based intervention entry levels. Notably, the experimental group experienced significant increases in OPQOL-Brief scores, and MMSE-Language scores significantly increased in the experimental group while decreasing in the control group. These findings align with existing evidence-based research, demonstrating that art therapy can enhance cognitive function and quality of life in older adults with dementia. While the study contributes valuable preliminary evidence to the growing literature on art therapy for dementia, its exploratory findings warrant further research with larger samples. This study also provides new insights into expressive and stylistic elements, preferred media, and ETC entry-level in art-making for individuals with dementia, informing future personalized art therapy interventions.
Key findings
- Results suggested that participants exhibited similar visual expression elements, media preferences, and ETC-based intervention entry levels.
- Notably, the experimental group experienced significant increases in OPQOL-Brief scores, and MMSE-Language scores significantly increased in the experimental group while decreasing in the control group.
- These findings align with existing evidence-based research, demonstrating that art therapy can enhance cognitive function and quality of life in older adults with dementia.
Why it matters
In this randomized trial, older adults with dementia who received 10 sessions of art therapy based on the Expressive Therapies Continuum showed increases in quality-of-life scores and in the language part of the MMSE, while the control group's language scores decreased. The authors describe these as exploratory preliminary findings that need larger samples, and the study concerns quality of life and cognition, not curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 35/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Canadian Journal of Art Therapy) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Canadian Journal of Art Therapy: journal h-index 7 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 5 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 26.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 5 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Lisa D. Hinz: h-index 17 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Dominican University of California: institution h-index 85 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 35 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Jeon, H. J., & Hinz, L. D. (2025). Enhancing Cognitive Functioning in Dementia Through Art Therapy: A Randomized Trial Based on the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) Framework (Améliorer le fonctionnement cognitif chez les personnes atteintes de démence par l’art-thérapie : Un essai randomisé fondé sur le Continuum des thérapies expressives [CTE]). Canadian Journal of Art Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1080/26907240.2024.2446104
Vancouver
Jeon HJ, Hinz LD. Enhancing Cognitive Functioning in Dementia Through Art Therapy: A Randomized Trial Based on the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) Framework (Améliorer le fonctionnement cognitif chez les personnes atteintes de démence par l’art-thérapie : Un essai randomisé fondé sur le Continuum des thérapies expressives [CTE]). Canadian Journal of Art Therapy. 2025. doi:10.1080/26907240.2024.2446104.
BibTeX
@article{jeon2025-991821a1,
author = {Jeon, Heesu J. and Hinz, Lisa D.},
title = {{Enhancing Cognitive Functioning in Dementia Through Art Therapy: A Randomized Trial Based on the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) Framework (Améliorer le fonctionnement cognitif chez les personnes atteintes de démence par l’art-thérapie : Un essai randomisé fondé sur le Continuum des thérapies expressives [CTE])}},
journal = {Canadian Journal of Art Therapy},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1080/26907240.2024.2446104},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/26907240.2024.2446104}
}
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