Since the 1970s physicians have known that some people with the progressive movement disorder Parkinson’s Disease felt more creative following the onset of the disease. A few years ago, this curious fact spurred a research team in the Netherlands to carry out a long-term study—one that now includes a partnership with Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum—of the relationship between creativity and better health outcomes for Parkinson’s patients.
Between March 2021 and March 2022, Blanca Spee, a neuroscientist at Radboudumc medical center in Nijmegen; Bas Bloem, the director of the Centre of Expertise for Parkinson and Movement Disorders at Radboudumc; epidemiologist Sirwan Darweesh; and artist Marjoke Plijnaer followed 800 Parkinson’s patients, looking for changes in creativity.
The researchers found that 41 percent of the study’s participants self-reported creativity changes: 12 percent experienced an increase, 22 percent a decrease, and 7 percent fluctuations. Participants taking dopamine agonists were especially likely to report an increase. These findings led the researchers to posit that Parkinson’s patients might benefit from personalized treatment plans that took creativity into account as both a potential outcome and a therapeutic tool.
Building on this conclusion, the team then set up what they called a “creative playground” where, over the course of 10 weeks, eight subjects were invited to explore different creative practices such as painting, music making, and writing. Their findings, published this past January, confirmed that the participants overall reported less anxiety and an increased sense of well-being. The researchers also noted a slight improvement in cognitive function and fewer visits to healthcare providers.
On November 17, the Michael J. Fox Foundation announced it had awarded Bloem its Pritzker Prize for his work on holistic Parkinson’s care, which comes with a $200,000 research grant. According to the Art Newspaper, the grant will be used for the team’s newest study, which will last 18 months and involve three groups of participants: one group will explore the Rijksmuseum’s art collection, another group will make art, and a control group will not experience art as either producers or viewers. For its part, the museum will offer a free annual pass to participants and offer special evenings where they can view the collection without having to navigate crowds.
