The Effects of a Creativity Training (CREC) in Pathological Aging: Preliminary Analyses

Creative abilities, being partially spared in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), could contrib- ute to a better cognitive reserve of these subjects, protecting them from cognitive decline. Effectiveness of cognitive/creative training has been proved by meta-analytic research. However, few creativity training pro- grams have been designed and implemented for these patients. The present study investigated the possible beneficial effects of an individual 10-sessions training (CREC, CReativity in Everyday life Challenges), based on divergent thinking exercises, in a sample of 15 MCI patients (6 men; age: 78.1 ± 3.18; education: 7.73 ± 6.50). Other six patients (2 men; age: 75.5 ± 6.32; education: 6.50 ± 1.64) were assigned to an active control group. Specific cognitive functions, divergent thinking skills, psychological and well-being variables were assessed at two different time points: before and after the training sessions. Preliminary results showed that CREC improves patients’ performance in specific cognitive domains. Notwithstanding, only marginal im- provements were observed in the psychological variables. These results suggest that creative thinking could be a useful resource against cognitive decline in the elderly.