Can the stroke of a paint brush or the swipe of a colored pencil improve a person’s health?
A UC Riverside medical student thinks so.
Zayan Musa, herself a painter, is doing a study at a downtown Riverside facility to test her theory.
UC Riverside medical student Zayan Musa, right, watches as The Grove Care and Wellness facility stroke patient Amalia Reynoso, 78, uses a coloring book in Riverside on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. “Drawing makes me mentally clear,” Reynoso said. Musa, who also paints as a hobby, hopes the painting therapy will help patients who have suffered strokes and other medical setbacks regain the steadiness of their hands and help with mental health. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
UC Riverside medical student Zayan Musa, right, watches as The Grove Care and Wellness facility stroke patient Amalia Reynoso, 78, uses a coloring book in Riverside on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Amalia Reynoso, a 78-year-old stroke patient at The Grove Care and Wellness facility in Riverside, colors Wednesday, March 5, 2025, as she works to regain the steadiness in her hand. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
UC Riverside medical student Zayan Musa, left, watches as The Grove Care and Wellness facility stroke patient Amalia Reynoso colors in Riverside on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
The Grove Care and Wellness facility stroke patient Amalia Reynoso, 78, colors in Riverside on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Kym Scarpitti, 65, a stroke and heart attack patient at The Grove Care and Wellness in Riverside, colors a balloon drawing as she works to regain the steadiness in her hand Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
The Grove Care and Wellness patient Kym Scarpitti, 65, colors in Riverside on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
UC Riverside medical student Zayan Musa, right, assists The Grove Care and Wellness stroke patient Amalia Reynoso, 78, with drawing materials in Riverside on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. “Drawing makes me mentally clear,” Reynoso said. Musa, who paints for a hobby, hopes the art therapy will help patients who have suffered strokes and other medical issues regain the steadiness of their hands as well as help with mental health. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
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UC Riverside medical student Zayan Musa, right, watches as The Grove Care and Wellness facility stroke patient Amalia Reynoso, 78, uses a coloring book in Riverside on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. “Drawing makes me mentally clear,” Reynoso said. Musa, who also paints as a hobby, hopes the painting therapy will help patients who have suffered strokes and other medical setbacks regain the steadiness of their hands and help with mental health. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
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In the clinical trial, Musa visits The Grove Care and Wellness, a rehabilitation and long-term care facility, to work on art with 12 older residents who are patients there.
As a form of therapy, those recovering from illnesses such as stroke or heart attack draw, color and paint for at least 20 minutes a day, a UCR news release states.
On Wednesday, March 5, Musa, a third-year medical student, worked with 78-year-old stroke patient Amalia Reynoso, who colored in a “Beauty and the Beast” coloring book.
“Drawing makes me mentally clear,” Reynoso said.
Participants complete questionnaires before, during and after the art therapy. So far, Musa is finding that data suggests moderate/slight improvement in motor skills and substantial improvements in cognitive and emotional health, the release states.
“Encouraged by our data, we hope to provide concrete evidence that art therapy can be used in medical care for vulnerable populations and should be considered as part of the comprehensive medical therapy in patients with chronic illnesses or palliative care,” Musa said in the release.
Staff photographer Will Lester contributed to this report.
