Art improves stroke survivors’ quality of life

Copenhagen, 16 March 2012: Stroke survivors who like art have a significantly higher quality of life than those who do not, according to new research. Patients who appreciated music, painting and theatre recovered better from their stroke than patients who did not.

Stroke is the third cause of death in the western world and the first cause of disability in adults. More and more older people are having strokes and undergoing recovery. “We know that every six seconds there is a person affected by stroke in the world,” says lead author Dr Ercole Vellone, assistant professor in nursing science at the School of Nursing, University Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. “Identifying strategies to improve stroke recoveryand patients’ quality of life represent a priority for the health care system andart exposure seems to be promising.”

For the research (FPN 38), 192 stroke survivors (average age 70 years) were asked if they liked or did not like art (music, painting, theatre). Quality of life was compared for patients interested in art (105) and patients not interested in art (87). Read More