Abstract
Several studies have addressed visuospatial and executive skills in artistic activities in Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD).ObjectiveTo investigate the performance of FTLD patients compared to controls on two artistic tasks.MethodsFour FTLD patients with mean age of 57 (8.7) years and schooling of 12.2 (4.5) years plus 10 controls with mean age of 62.9 (8.6) years and schooling of 12.3 (4.6) years, were assessed using the Lowenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA) and by a three-stage artistic protocol including visual observation, copying and collage, based on a Sisley painting.ResultsFTLD patients had lower scores than controls on Visuospatial Perception, Copy, Collage, Examiner's Observation, and Total, showing distinct patterns of performance according to FTLD sub-type: semantic PPA, nonfluent PPA and bvFTD.ConclusionFTLD patients presented impairment in the visuospatial and executive skills required to perform artistic tasks. We demonstrated that the application of the instrument as a complimentary method for assessing cognitive skills in this group of patients is possible. Further studies addressing larger and more homogeneous samples of FTLD patients as well as other dementias are warranted.
Highlights
Artistic production involves the visual system, praxis, memory and executive functions, as well as emotional processes, creativity and inspirations that give rise to art.[1]
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) patients had a mean age of 57±8.7 years and mean schooling of 12.2±4.5 years; two patients were male and two were female
The control group had a mean age of 62.9±8.6 years and mean schooling of 12.3 ±4.6 years; two patients in this group were male and eight were female
Summary
Artistic production involves the visual system, praxis, memory and executive functions, as well as emotional processes, creativity and inspirations that give rise to art.[1] In recent years, studies in the fields of Neurology, Psychology, Psychiatry and Cognitive Sciences have enabled different and comple-. Visual imagery, motor memory and artistic processes in the brain have been performed in different neurodegenerative diseases. Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a complex of predominantly cortical degenerative diseases, usually pre-senile, that is characterized by deterioration in personality and cognition associated with frontal and temporal lobar atrophy. In this type of dementia, behavioral, executive, and language alterations predominate over the episodic memory and visuospatial impairment as found in AD.[4,5]
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