Arts therapies appear to ease a host of brain disorders from Parkinson's to PTSD. But these treatments that rely on Michael Schmidtmusic, poetry or visual arts haven't been backed by rigorous scientific testing. Now, artists and brain scientists have launched a program to change that. NPR's brain correspondent Jon Hamilton tells us about an initiative called the NeuroArts Blueprint in this encore episode.

And if you want to know more about the neuroaesthetics research Aaron mentioned participating in by the scientist Edward Vessel, you can read the paperThe brain on art: intense aesthetic experience activates the default mode network.

This episode was produced by Rebecca Ramirez, edited by Stephanie O'Neill and fact-checked by Katherine Sypher.