A pilot study on effectiveness of visual arts mediation in Cognitive Activation Therapy (CAT) on biological ageing and cognitive/functional status

Ageing is one of the most significant phenomenons of the 21 st century with important consequences on all sectors of society. It’s also the greatest risk factor for the development of dementia, which is a complex clinic syndrome that gradually and irreversibly impairs cognitive functions and functional abilities. In this pilot study we analyse whether Cognitive Activation Therapy (CAT) with visual arts influences biological aging and cognition/functional. Twenty patients affected by major neurocognitive disorder in the mild to moderate phase of the disease (mainly Alzheimer's disease) were recruited at the Regional Center for the Study and Treatment of Cerebral Aging (CRIC). Patients aged between 47 and 85 years underwent a cycle of Cognitive Activation Therapy (CAT) mediated by the visual arts and a pre- and post-treatment neuropsychological and functional evaluation with 17 sessions of which 14 at the CRIC and 3 at the the Eremitani Civic Museums of Padua. The biological aging performed on blood samples at the beginning and at the end of the cognitive activation cycle mediated by the visual arts involved the evaluation of biological aging indicators: epigenetic age (DNAmAge) and telomere length. The preliminary statistical analysis of the data shows that the duration of the treatment, through the mediation of the visual arts in the use of a structured and standardized rehabilitation protocol (CAT), influences biological aging. The simple linear regression analysis showed a significant correlation (p=0.035) treatment days and an increased age acceleration DNAmAge (T1-T0). A multiple linear regression shows that the determinants in LTL elongation are being female and days of treatment. In particular, a prolonged duration of the rehabilitation protocol seems to significantly slow down biological aging. Standardizing this rehabilitation model would mean increasing the therapeutic options for people affected by neurocognitive disorders and identifying rehabilitation paradigms capable, not only of positively influencing cognition, but also of leveraging the person's potential, of creating social inclusion, modifying the social perception of disease and to combat stigma.