The changes in first-person body perception of stroke survivors by Expressive Arts-based Intervention: An ongoing pilot study

Abstract

Introduction: The existing rehabilitation program for stroke survivors mostly focuses on the third-person view towards a body. The first-person view of stroke survivors’ bodies is seldom discussed, yet this may be useful in prescribing poststroke rehabilitation or support. Therefore, this pilot study adopts the somatics perspective of viewing the body from the “inside-out” angle. It aims at exploring the first-person body perception among stroke survivors and to discover how Expressive Arts-based Intervention affects their body perceptions. Methods: Participants in this present study were recruited using convenience sampling from a local rehabilitation center. Eligible participants were stroke survivors aged above 18 years old and with the onset of major stroke within a year. Participants enrolled in the eight-weeks Expressive Arts-based Intervention group which adopts different art modalities for providing multiple sensory stimuli and helps participants to process and express the complex feelings towards their bodies. They were assessed with eight self-rated body perception questions. The higher sum score represents the higher level of perceived body perception disturbance. They were also asked to sketch on an A4 paper imprinted with a human figure outline before and after the intervention. Participant observation was also conducted to observe the dynamics and behavioral changes in the intervention. In-depth interviews will also be conducted to understand more on their subjective changes in their body perceptions. Results: Three stroke survivors, aged 55 to 64, participated in this study. The selfrated questions sum score of two participants dropped rapidly, whereas the score of one case remains steady. Two reviewers analyzed the sketches preliminarily from a third-person perspective. A more harmonious color tone and more drew body parts were found in the post-intervention sketches. These changes also reflected in their descriptions that they experienced in better coordination within the body and higher body awareness. Moreover, through the observation, participants seldom utilized their affected body parts at the beginning; however, they challenged their affected limbs in the later part of the intervention. Conclusions: The preliminary results present that Expressive Arts-based Intervention may trigger changes in the first-person body perception among stroke survivors. In-depth interviews will be conducted shortly to confirm the effect of Expressive Arts-based Intervention on body perception.