Editorial For the Special Issue in the Arts Therapies and Neuroscience

Noah Hass-Cohen^1*Sharon Vaisvaser²Rebecca Bokoch¹Christianne E Strang³

• ¹Alliant International University, San Diego, United States
• ²School of Society and the Arts, Ono Academic College Kiryat, Ono, Israel
• ³The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States

traumatic autobiographical distress by meeting neuroscience-informed MR conditions. Vaisvaser discussed selfhood as constructed by predictive processing and interpersonal neural synchronization, situating the arts as a vehicle for neuroplastic reshaping of the multidimensional self. Bridging neuroscience and subjectivity, she highlighted how functional crosstalk between brain networks supports the integration of bodily experiential and narrated mental aspects of the self, their disruptions in psychopathology, and their relevance to the psychotherapeutic use of the arts. Bokoch and Hass-Cohen found that IATN research outcomes suggested improvements in brain activity and functioning, cognitive, affective, sensory, and social functioning, as well as psychological symptoms and behaviors. Changes were captured based on biophysiological measures, neuropsychological assessments, standardized psychological self-report measures, and qualitative reports (Bokoch et al.). Strang identified the current state of evidence underlying concepts in neuroscience that are regularly integrated into IATN theory and practice. She explored the current scope, ethical concerns, and methodological challenges of arts therapies and neuroscience integration and cautioned against uncritical use of mechanistic explanations of arts therapies based on neuroscience explanations. She outlined limits and opportunities for evidence-based integration.Across the manuscripts included in this special issue, our esteemed contributors joined in this endeavor, exploring how arts therapies potentially engage brain networks and physiological In summary, key insights of this special edition illustrated the potential for the validation of IATN mechanisms through neural networks, physiological systems, and neuroplasticity. IATN theories, approaches, and clinical interventions were shown by our authors to provide unique tools to express, regulate, and externalize emotions, as well as reconsolidate trauma memories beyond verbal processing. Furthermore, sensorimotor, visual, and aesthetic elements within the therapy elicited profound emotional shifts and aid in mood regulation. Relational and social processes formed another vital component, with the therapeutic alliance and social play facilitating healing, particularly in cases focused on trauma, stigma reduction, and symptoms related to aging. The empowerment and meaning making fostered by art offer autonomy, insight, and transformation, especially for chronic conditions and marginalized voices. However, the field continues to face several challenges, including the necessity for methodological rigor, diversity, and ethical sensitivity, and innovation. These aspects are crucial for advancing future IATN research and applications.