2017/05/02 by Sam Chan, Chetwyn C. H. Chan, Abiot Y. Derbie +5 · 1 citation
Medicine · Arts and Humanities · Neuroscience · Psychology · #Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research #Art Therapy and Mental Health #Pain Management and Placebo Effect #Working memory #Randomized controlled trial #Cognition #Calligraphy #Cognitive Intervention #Cognitive training #Psychology #Intervention (counseling) #Working memory training #Psychological intervention #Attentional control #Cognitive psychology #Audiology #Medicine #Psychiatry
paper · doi:10.3233/jad-170024
openalex publication_date 2017/05/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
BACKGROUND: Nonpharmacological intervention for individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) needs further investigation. OBJECTIVE: Test efficacy of an eight-week Chinese calligraphy writing training course in improving attentional control and working memory. METHODS: Ninety-nine participants with MCI were randomized into the eight-week calligraphy writing (n = 48) or control (tablet computer) training (n = 51). Outcomes of the interventions were attentional control, working memory, visual scan and processing speed. They were measured at baseline, post-training, and six-month follow-up. RESULTS: Calligraphy writing, when compared with control, significantly improved working memory as reflected from DST-Backward sequence (p = 0.009) and span scores (p = 0.002), and divided attention as reflected from CTT2 (p < 0.001), and at the post-training. The unique improvement in working memory (span: p < 0.001; sequence: p = 0.008) of the intervention group was also found at follow-up when comparing with those at baseline. Changes in the other outcome measures were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The findings provide support that Chinese calligraphy writing training for eight weeks using a cognitive approach would improve working memory and to a lesser extent attentional control functions of patients with early MCI. They also demonstrate the usefulness of using mind-and-body practice for improving specific cognitive functions.