Page 7 - ChildArt July-Sept 2017 Your Brain on Art

JULY – SEPT 2017 THE ARTS + MIND 5

PARIETAL LOBE
Information processing of
movement, mathematics,
orientation, recognition
and perception of stimuli
(taste, touch, temperature)

OCCIPITAL LOBE
Visual processing

THE LIMBIC SYSTEM
The emotional brain
containing the thalamus,
hypothalamus, amygdala
and hippocampus

CEREBELLUM
The cerebellum is
associated with regulation
and coordination of
movement, posture
and balance

with the arts – either as beholder or maker of the connections build cognitive skills, have discovered that emotions, related
– provides powerful experiences. These predict long-term outcomes in resiliency, to reward and pleasure, are productive for
experiences help to build this complex and social-emotional health, executive function, higher level learning. The neurotransmitter
vast neural network and help to maintain learning and memory. The arts engage dopamine helps control the brain’s
the foundational circuitry needed for the whole brain. pleasure and reward systems. Dopamine
healthy brain function. The brain is comprised of many also helps regulate movement and
Brain researchers are also beginning to important neurotransmitters including emotional responses. It enables us not
better understand that exposure to the arts, serotonin, oxytocin and dopamine. These only to feel rewards but to take action and
including the visual arts, creative writing help regulate emotion, motivation and move towards them. Dopamine-driven
and poetry, music, architecture, dance and rewards which are intrinsically tied to experiences help foster critical behaviors
theatre, create interconnectivity between brain development. for learning—a thirst for knowledge or a
different areas of the brain. Brain regions Emotion is an important part of brain desire to discover information.
do not work in isolation—the strengths development and learning. Researchers