Art Therapy and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Abstract

This chapter explores the public of the physical and psychological impact of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and offers suggestions for how art therapy practice and research can influence contemporary medical care for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and their caregivers. It provides a comprehensive literature review on the subject, the field of art therapy has intuited the connections between artistic expression and brain processes with the identification of several primary tenets, all of which can be underscored with neuroscience principles. The bilateral and multidirectional process of creativity is healing and life enhancing and the materials and methods utilized affect self-expression, assist in self-regulation, and are applied in specialized ways. The art-making process and the artwork itself are integral components of treatment that help to understand and elicit verbal and nonverbal communication within an attuned therapeutic relationship. Utilizing psychotherapeutic interventions such as art therapy, in combination with other pharmacological interventions, has potential to provide relief for patients and their caregivers.