Key result
Craft activities that induced frontal midline theta rhythm significantly increased the cardiac sympathetic index (2.30 vs 1.84, p=0.049) and cardiac vagal index compared to resting conditions.
Why the study?
Occupational therapy frequently employs craft activities as therapeutic tools, but their therapeutic effectiveness has not yet been adequately demonstrated.
Does a craft activity alter cardiac autonomic function and frontal midline theta rhythm in healthy volunteers?
Does a craft activity alter cardiac autonomic function and frontal midline theta rhythm in healthy volunteers?
Standardized Mean Difference: 0.95
Absolute Event Rate: 2.3% vs 1.84%
p-value: p=0.049
Craft activities induce a relaxed-concentration state characterized by simultaneous increases in both sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiac autonomic activity during frontal midline theta rhythm appearance.
May link crafts to Fmθ changes; leaves open therapeutic mechanisms and clinical efficacy in occupational therapy.
Occupational therapy often uses craft activities as therapeutic tools, but their therapeutic effectiveness has not yet been adequately demonstrated. The aim of this study was to examine changes in frontal midline theta rhythm (Fmθ) and autonomic nervous responses during craft activities, and to explore the physiological mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effectiveness of occupational therapy. To achieve this, we employed a simple craft activity as a task to induce Fmθ and performed simultaneous EEG and ECG recordings. For participants in which Fmθ activities were provoked, parasympathetic and sympathetic activities were evaluated during the appearance of Fmθ and rest periods using the Lorenz plot analysis. Both parasympathetic and sympathetic indices increased with the appearance of Fmθ compared to during resting periods. This suggests that a relaxed-concentration state is achieved by concentrating on craft activities. Furthermore, the appearance of Fmθ positively correlated with parasympathetic activity, and theta band activity in the frontal area were associated with sympathetic activity. This suggests that there is a close relationship between cardiac autonomic function and Fmθ activity.
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Shiraiwa et al. (2020) studied Healthy volunteers (n=28). Craft activities (canvas craft) vs. Resting condition (staring at a solid cross) was evaluated on Cardiac sympathetic index (CSI) (Cohen's d 0.95, p=0.049). Craft activities that induced frontal midline theta rhythm significantly increased the cardiac sympathetic index (2.30 vs 1.84, p=0.049) and cardiac vagal index compared to resting conditions.
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