title: A Preliminary Study of the Effects of an Arts Education Program on Executive Function, Behavior, and Brain Structure in a Sample of Nonclinical School-Aged Children.
abstract: The authors examined the effects of arts education on cognition, behavior, and brain of children. Twenty-nine nonclinical children participated in a 15-week arts education program that was composed of either creative movement or musical arts. Children completed the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, clinical scales, and brain magnetic resonance imaging before and after the intervention. Following program completion, performances on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, the Children's Depression Inventory scores, and conduct disorder scores were significantly improved. Furthermore, cortical thickness in the left postcentral gyrus and superior parietal lobule were increased, and the mean diffusivity values in the right posterior corona radiate and superior longitudinal fasciculus were decreased. Positive correlations between changes in cognitive measurements and changes in cortical thickness were observed. This preliminary study suggests a positive effect of arts education on executive functions in association with brain changes. However, these findings must be interpreted with caution due to the noncomparative study design.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Subin
authors: S
authors: Park
authors: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Jong-Min
authors: JM
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Arts and Cultural Management, Graduate School of Management, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Young
authors: Y
authors: Baik
authors: Department of Social Welfare, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Kihyun
authors: K
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Hyuk Jin
authors: HJ
authors: Yun
authors: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Hunki
authors: H
authors: Kwon
authors: Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Yeon-Kyung
authors: YK
authors: Jung
authors: Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea kbn1@snu.ac.kr.
authors: Bung-Nyun
authors: BN
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D001154:Art; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D004505:Education, Nonprofessional; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009929:Organ Size; D000068037:South Sudan
keywords: arts education; behavior; child; cognition; cortical thickness; diffusion tensor imaging