To Evaluate and Distinguish the Effects of Art Therapy and Visual Color Cues to Ameliorate the Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease - A Pilot Study
Authors: Sharma Nishtha , Sharma Monika 
Published: October 2024

Parkinson’s disease is the 2nd most common neurodegenerative disease that worsens with time and mostly affects movement. The disease depicts complex multi-system symptomatology which includes both motor as well as non-motor manifestations. Complementary and alternative remedies are increasingly being used to treat its symptoms. Acknowledging the complex nature of Parkinson's disease (PD) symptoms, this research aims to treat both motor and non-motor symptoms, with a particular emphasis on gait abnormalities and cognitive loss. The study intends to examine how well two intervention strategies—visual color signals and art therapy— to improve overall cognitive functionality and FOG in people with Parkinson's disease.
OBJECTIVES: Study aimed to determine and distinguish the effectiveness of Art Therapy and Visual Color Cues on mainly cognitive skills and gait pattern in Parkinson's sufferers. The research aims to further our understanding of the connection between PD patients' gait, cognition, and treatment interventions. Through an extensive analysis of recent research findings and literature, the study seeks to provide light on how these factors interact and the potential effectiveness of different treatment approaches in treating Parkinson's disease symptoms.
METHOD: This study included 30 Parkinson's patients. In order to evaluate the efficacy of art therapy and visual cue training as two intervention modalities in enhancing cognitive abilities and freezing of gait (FOG) in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD), a randomized controlled experiment was carried out. Each intervention group consisted of 15 individuals who were assessed before and after the trials, randomized at random to undergo 6 weeks of therapies, which included regular physiotherapy sessions three times a week for 40 minutes each. The art therapy group participated in a variety of creative activities meant to improve gait, attention, motivation, emotional control, and cognitive performance. However, the visual cue training group learned how to employ visual cues—like colored papers or objects on the floor—to enhance gait start and turning as well as cognitive status. The results of the six-week therapy period based on MOCA and Mini BESTest scores were compared to ascertain the effectiveness of each strategy in treating FOG and cognitive function in individuals with Parkinson's disease.
RESULTS: When Art Therapy (AT) and Visual Color Cues (VCC) were compared for Parkinson's patients, it was discovered that AT improved cognitive performance more as measured by improved Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) scores. Patient’s outcomes for mobility and balance, as determined by the Mini-BES Test, differed, with some responding better to VCC and others to AT. The necessity for individualized treatment methods was highlighted by statistical analysis, which demonstrated substantial variations in MOCA and Mini-BES Test ratings among the two regimens.
CONCLUSION: This study concluded that both AT and VCC significantly improve cognitive function and gait performance in PD patients. However, the nature of the improvements suggests that while AT may have a more substantial impact on cognitive functions, VCC may be more effective in enhancing motor functions. Altogether, Art Therapy and Visual Color Cues both present viable non-pharmacological interventions for improving the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease.

Key words: Art Therapy; Visual Color Cues; MOCA; Mini BES Test; Parkinson Disease; FOG; Visuo-spatial Functions; Cognition