Disclosures: Mahya Beheshti, MD: Nothing to disclose

Objective: Preliminary analysis to determine the characteristics of visuospatial exploration in subjects with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and to explore the impact of professional art therapy (AT) intervention in a cohort of subjects with PD on visuospatial exploration.

Design: Dual-phase cross-sectional, controlled, and prospective.

Setting: Exploratory research.

Participants: 18 non-demented PD and 18 age-matched controls.

Interventions: 20 sessions of professional AT for PD subjects.

Main Outcome Measures: Motor and gait functions were assessed by MDS-UPDRS, Timed Up and Go test (TUG), and wearable accelerometers, cognitive and visuospatial functions by neuropsychological inventories (MoCA, Rey-Osterrieth Figure Test, Benton Visual Test (BVT)) and computerized testing (Navon Visual Test, Visual Research Test, and reaction time); binocular eye tracking was performed during the digital presentation of the BVT (Eyelink II) and eye movements were analyzed for number of saccades, saccade path length, spatial variance in the horizontal dimension. Psychological wellness was assessed by Beck Depression Index (BDI), Modified Fatigue Impact Scale, and PROMIS-Self-Efficacy scales. Outcome measures were re-assessed within a 1-month therapy termination of AT

Results: PD subjects initially showed a larger number of saccades relative to controls, but approached controls post-AT [PD1 25 CI:(18.6-22.7); control 20.6 CI:(18.6-22.7); PD2 19.8, CI: (22.4 – 27.7]. Saccadic path lengths were larger in PD participants pre-AT relative to controls. Post-AT it decreased (PD1:2511 CI(2423-2597), Control:1817 CI(1751-1883), PD2:1621 CI(1551-1691). Saccade spatial variance had the same pattern initially and post-AT[Control 6.5 CI: (6.4-6.7); PD1 7 CI: (6.8 – 7.1); PD2 6.8 CI: (6.6 – 6.9)].

Conclusions: Parkinson’s patients show evidence of disruptions in eye movement planning with related impairments in transsaccadic and spatial working memory. In fact, cognitive impairments in PD may a by higher level ocular motor control deficits. AT, as a novel rehabilitation strategy, may improve visuospatial planning and visual exploration. Neuro-rehabilitative assessment and training regimens that focus on visuospatial factors may improve cognitive performance and quality of life in PD.

Level of Evidence: Level I

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PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/unveiling-the-effect-of-art-therapy-on-eye-movement-phenotype-in-parkinsons-disease/