# Prefrontal Blood Flow Activity During Drawing Intervention in School-Age Children with Autism: An fNIRS Hyperscanning Study

## TL;DR

This study used brain imaging to show that drawing improves communication and brain activity in children with autism.

## Contribution

The study provides empirical evidence of prefrontal hemodynamic changes in children with ASD during art-based interventions.

## Key findings

- Drawing intervention improved emotional expression and cognitive skills in children with ASD.
- ASD participants showed unique prefrontal connectivity patterns during drawing tasks.
- Task-based painting influenced frontal lobe hemodynamics, supporting art as a therapeutic tool for ASD.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: Art-based interventions have been shown to enhance communication skills in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet their impact on prefrontal hemodynamics remains unclear. Methods: This study employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to examine hemoglobin oxygenation (HbO) changes in the prefrontal cortex of school-age children with ASD, providing empirical support for its therapeutic efficacy. Sixty age-matched children participated in a 9-week art therapy program, including twenty ASD children and forty typically developing peers. Assessments included self-portrait drawing (SPD), the Diagnostic Drawing Series (DDS), and the General Quality of Life Inventory (GQOL-74). In addition, we performed fNIRS measurements in the ASD participants and observed changes in prefrontal HbO at rest and while drawing. Results: The drawing intervention significantly enhanced drawing ability, emotional expression, and cognitive skills, with the intervention group outperforming the controls. ASD participants exhibited distinct prefrontal connectivity patterns with visual, motor, and language-related regions, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, frontal eye field, and Broca’s area. Task-based painting interventions indirectly influenced the frontal lobe’s hemodynamic characteristics, indicating drawing intervention as an effective intervention for ASD.