Collage technique may provide new perspectives for Alzheimer patients by exploring messages from their inner world

Although the collage art technique has been introduced as a psychotherapeutic method, it has not been fully applied in dementia. OBJECTIVES: To analyze characteristics of the collage articles produced by patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). METHODS: Twenty AD patients were asked to select and place several clippings as they wished. The MMSE was used for cognitive assessments. RESULTS: Simplification and poor organization in their articles were found. The themes of one patient were found to change according to behavior. We discussed the images of the articles, especially spiritual images in the early stage and family images in the later stage. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that the collage technique could provide new perspectives for dementia patients by exploring messages from their inner world.