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PERSPECTIVE article

Front. Psychol.

Sec. Cognitive Science

Neuroaesthetics: Exploring the Role of Aesthetics Experience in Neurorehabilitation

Provisionally accepted
Francesca ColombiFrancesca Colombi1Greta VaresioGreta Varesio2Enrico SeliniEnrico Selini1Elia AmighettiElia Amighetti3Maura CrepaldiMaura Crepaldi1Giulia FusiGiulia Fusi1Irene RongaIrene Ronga4Alice CancerAlice Cancer3Alessandro AntoniettiAlessandro Antonietti3Giuliano Carlo GeminianiGiuliano Carlo Geminiani5Maria Luisa RusconiMaria Luisa Rusconi1,6*
  • 1University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
  • 2University of Turin, Torino, Italy
  • 3Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy, Milan, Italy
  • 4Universita degli Studi di Torino, Turin, Italy
  • 5Universita degli Studi di Torino Dipartimento di psicologia, Turin, Italy
  • 6Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy

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The rise in life expectancy, along with other factors, leads to an increase in neurodegenerative diseases and stroke. Research in neuropsychological fields is working towards developing innovative methods to address and treat the cognitive disorders that can result from these conditions, such as non-pharmacological interventions (e.g., cognitive stimulation training). As an emerging field, neuroaesthetics explores the cognitive processes and neural foundations associated with aesthetic experiences. As demonstrated by the ‘Michelangelo Effect’, observing artworks stimulates brain regions and emotional responses that could positively impact the effectiveness of neurorehabilitation protocols. This article aims to present an overview of existing theories and models that provide a framework for understanding the possible role of aesthetic appreciation in neurological and cognitive rehabilitation.

Keywords: neuroaesthetics, Cognitive rehabilitation, Aesthetics appreciation, Emotionalregulation, Art-based interventions, brain plasticity, Aesthetics experience, Neurorehabilitation

Received: 23 Jul 2025; Accepted: 12 Nov 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Colombi, Varesio, Selini, Amighetti, Crepaldi, Fusi, Ronga, Cancer, Antonietti, Geminiani and Rusconi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Maria Luisa Rusconi, marialuisa.rusconi@unibg.it

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Supplementary Material