Wolf Denise R, Rattigan Michele D
College of Nursing and Health Professions, Art Therapy and Counseling, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Front Psychol. 2024 Dec 4;15:1489813. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1489813. eCollection 2024.
The multiple cognitive, somatic, and behavioral changes following head injuries can result in expressive language difficulties that may not be resolved quickly. This paper explores the traumatic brain injury and post-concussive syndrome artwork created by an art therapist and the child of an art therapist, making the invisible neurological consequences of head injuries visible. Our first-person and caregiver perspectives offer examples of visual arts-based communication between patients, health professionals, and family members. Utilizing client imagery as a form of communication may improve patient outcomes through the identification and resultant treatment of overlooked and underdiagnosed symptoms. Experiences such as confusion, fear, localized pain, and mood lability stem not only from the injury itself, but from the experience of damaged microstructures that are often undetectable in standard diagnostic testing. Additionally, symptoms such as temperature and appetite dysregulation, vestibular and proprioceptive disruptions, and circadian rhythm sleep disorders evade standard diagnostic inventories. This may prompt the patient to question the reality of their somatic and cognitive experiences. Research supports the position of the authors: these experiences can be communicated through client imagery, expediting healing and improving overall health. In the spontaneously created art traversing child and adult stages of development, we discovered multiple prevalent themes within the imagery too numerous to ignore. Practice recommendations will be discussed for both art therapists and interprofessional healthcare collaborators concerning the use of imagery and visual expression when working with those who have sustained traumatic brain injuries.
头部受伤后出现的多种认知、躯体和行为变化可能导致表达性语言障碍，且这种障碍可能无法迅速得到解决。本文探讨了艺术治疗师以及一位艺术治疗师的孩子所创作的创伤性脑损伤和脑震荡后综合征的艺术作品，这些作品使头部受伤无形的神经学后果变得可见。我们从第一人称以及照顾者的视角提供了患者、健康专业人员和家庭成员之间基于视觉艺术的交流示例。将患者的意象作为一种交流形式，通过识别并治疗被忽视和诊断不足的症状，可能会改善患者的治疗效果。诸如困惑、恐惧、局部疼痛和情绪不稳定等症状不仅源于损伤本身，还源于微观结构受损的经历，而这些微观结构在标准诊断测试中往往难以检测到。此外，诸如体温和食欲调节异常、前庭和本体感觉紊乱以及昼夜节律睡眠障碍等症状也不在标准诊断清单范围内。这可能会促使患者质疑自身躯体和认知体验的真实性。研究支持作者的观点：这些体验可以通过患者的意象进行交流，从而加速康复并改善整体健康状况。在跨越儿童和成人发展阶段的自发创作的艺术作品中，我们在这些意象中发现了多个普遍存在的主题，多得不容忽视。本文将针对艺术治疗师以及跨专业医疗协作人员，讨论在与创伤性脑损伤患者合作时使用意象和视觉表达的实践建议。
