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NCT Number: NCT04038424

The Effect of Art Therapy on Patients With Stroke

Stroke can affect the physical, emotional and social aspects of the patient and their family members. It is the main cause of complex disability, with a high number of people living with its effects. Stroke can result in impairments in motor function, language, cognition, sensory processing, cognition, and emotional disturbances, which can affect the performance of functional activities and mental health status. Getting patients involved in art therapy (AT) class has shown to alleviate stress and promote a sense of wellbeing, which can aid their recovery and rehabilitation. The benefits of art therapy for people living with different health conditions worldwide have been reported, however, its effect on Egyptian patients with stroke has been neglected.

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Key information

Conditions

Ischemic Stroke and Hemorrhagic Stroke Brain Diseases Cardiovascular Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Cerebrovascular Disorders Hemorrhagic Stroke Ischemic Stroke Nervous System Diseases Stroke Vascular Diseases

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Unit of stroke and cerebral vascular disease treatment

Cairo, Egypt

Location contact

Ahmed Abdelalem, Professor

CONTACT

About this study

Art therapy refers to a group of techniques including painting, drawing and listening to music. The participants will receive the program on three steps (early step, middle step, and late step). These steps aim to train the participants on the AT from simple to complex and motivate them to engage in the AT program.Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of art therapy on cognitive ability, arm activity and mental health status of patients with stroke.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • able to sit upright, supported or unsupported,
  • oriented to time and place by using the adapted Arabic Memory Screening Test,
  • able to perform at least two of the following skills: drinking from a cup, eating with a spoon and taking money from a purse by the affected arm, and
  • will stay in the stroke unit to at least 4 days (for receiving three sessions out of all sessions) before discharge,

Exclusion criteria

  • diagnosis of transient ischemic attack or brain stem stroke;
  • unconscious;
  • unable to provide informed consent;
  • hemodynamical unstable medical conditions, including fever;
  • serious infectious diseases, for example, viral hepatitis or HIV; and/or
  • severe dementia or uncontrolled psychiatric problems.

Treatment and study plan

Art therapy

Other

Art therapy including coloring, painting and listening to music

Other names: Hand Therapy Ball Exercises

Primary outcomes

  1. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA)

    Time frame: 3 weeks

    The Montreal Cognitive Assessment is a 16-item screening assessment for mild cognitive impairment. It is widely used in stroke survivors and assesses performance attention, concentration, executive functions, memory, language, visual-constructional skills, conceptual thinking, calculations and orientation. The maximum score is 30 and scores of under 26 indicate cognitive impairment.

  2. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)

    Time frame: 3 weeks

    This measurement consists of two subscales: Anxiety subscale (HADS-A) and a depression subscale (HADS-D) with 14 intermingled items. Each item is rated on a four-point scale of 0-3, giving maximum scores of 21 for anxiety and depression respectively. Scores of 11 or more on either subscale are considered as significant 'case' of psychological comorbidity, a score of 8-10 as borderline while a score of 7 or below is considered as normal.

  3. The Arm Activity (ArmA) Measure

    Time frame: 3 weeks

    The ArmA measure is a patient and/or career-reported 20-item measure of difficulty in passive and active hemiparetic arm function. It consists of a seven-item passive function subscale, and 13-item active function subscale. Using a Likert scoring system between zero (no difficulty) and four (unable to do task). The passive function subscale scores range from zero (high function) to 28 and the active function subscale scores range from zero (high function) to 52.

Secondary outcomes

  1. The Roger's Happy Sad face

    Time frame: pre and post each session/3 weeks

    This Roger's scale will be used to assess mood, anxiety, and pain. The score ranges from 0-4, with 0 ''no symptoms'', and 4 ''worst possible symptoms''.

  2. Self-efficacy and satisfaction for Art

    Time frame: 3 weeks

    To assess self-efficacy and perceived difficulty for art expression we will ask two single item questions. a four-point visual analogue scale with one as least confident/difficult and four as most confident/difficult. Additional question will be asked to rate the participant satisfaction with the intervention as a supportive method during their treatment.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Naglaa FA Youssef, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

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Naglaa FA Youssef, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Cairo University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effect of Art Therapy on Cognitive Ability, Arm Activity and Mental Health Status in Patients With Stroke

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Jul 30, 2019
Registry last updated
Aug 14, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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