On Aesthetic and Psychological Stimulation of Gerontopsychiatric Patients

Overview

The author, a psychologist and aesthetician is concerned with the problem how manual workduring ergotherapy with art therapeutic features stimulates the sensomotor and psychomotorcoordination of patients suffering in the majority from dementia. Stimulation of sensory experienceis manifested in the produced creations which more or less correspond to the extent of thedisorder, type of personality, activity or passivity, extroversion or introversion, usually they donot correspond to the education and intelligence of the patients. Aesthetic and psychologicalstimulation which involves arts, manual activity creative achivments is obtained which frequentlyindicates a surprising aesthetic achievement of patients with declining mental capacity andthis is manifested also by improved communication with the environment. Most probably ina non-verbal way the oldest phylogenetic and ontogenetic brain structures are activated. Twocase-records are presented.

Key words:
gerontopsychiatry, ergotherapy, art therapy, aesthetic and psychological stimulation.