Effects of creative expression program on the event-related potential and task reaction time of elderly with mild cognitive impairment.
Junyu Zhao, Hong Li, Rong Lin and 3 others
PMID 33575443WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults with mild cognitive impairment who joined a 16-week creative storytelling group had faster brain-wave response times and button reaction times than controls.
Brain-wave signal strength did not differ.
Key findings
01At 16 weeks, the creative expression group had significantly shorter P300 latency at Cz and Pz than the control group.
02At 24-week follow-up, shorter P300 latency remained at Fz, Cz and Pz, but P300 amplitude did not differ.
03Reaction time was shorter in the creative expression group than controls after intervention (454.67 ± 33.88 ms vs 594.51 ± 33.90 ms) and at 24-week follow-up (465.67 ± 37.89 ms vs 597.45 ± 39.06 ms).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Only 36 participants were studied, and the authors say the small sample may weaken the statistics, especially for nonsignificant findings. The participants were recruited conveniently from a geriatric hospital, so they may not represent older adults with mild cognitive impairment who do not seek care. The group included both amnestic and some non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment, so results may not apply to a single MCI subtype. The outcomes were brain-wave timing and reaction time, not memory, communication, independence or safety in daily life. The paper does not report blinding or how many participants dropped out, and missing data were filled in using each participant's available values.
Declared interests
The study was supported by Chinese provincial and national research grants. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that creative expression improves daily memory or communication. The significant outcomes were P300 latency and reaction time, while P300 amplitude did not differ and no functional patient outcomes were reported.