Dog-Assisted Therapy for Children and Adolescents With FASD

Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (HUVH)

Status: Completed

Conditions: FASD

Treatments: Behavioral: Dog-Assisted Therapy and pharmacological treatment

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04038164

PR(AG)94/2018

Details and patient eligibility

About

The rationale of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of DAT in children and adolescents with FASD in relation to its effects on social skills, internalized and externalized symptomatology and on severity of FASD symptoms. This objective was accomplished through a randomized controlled pilot study of DAT for children and adolescents with FASD.

Full description

The rationale of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Dog Assisted Therapy in children and adolescents with FASD. The investigators conducted a randomized, rater-blinded, controlled pilot trial in a cohort of 33 children and adolescents with FASD. Participants were randomly assigned either to DAT group (n=17) or Treatment as Usual (TAU control group) (n=16). The investigators evaluated changes on social skills, internalized and externalized symptomatology and on severity of FASD symptoms at pre-treatment and post-treatment.

Enrollment: 39 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 6 to 18 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients diagnosed with FASD between 6 and 18 years (FAS, pFAS or ARND)
• With or without comorbidities
• Stabilized doses of medication for at least 2 months before the study
• Patients with borderline IQ or mental retardation.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients who were not behaviorally stable
• Patients that required hospitalization, day hospital or more intensive treatments.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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39 participants in 2 patient groups

Dog-Assisted Therapy (DAT) and pharmacological treatment

Experimental group

Description:

The DAT program comprised 12 manualized sessions and included two phases: 1) individual intervention (6 sessions) and 2) group activity (6 sessions). Patients participated in weekly sessions for about 3 months. Each session lasted 45 minutes. The groups were formed by 3-4 patients. Sessions included the participation of two certified therapy dogs, two technicians specialized in DAT and a psychologist. Participants in this group were visited by their psychiatrist in order to monitor their adherence to medications.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Dog-Assisted Therapy and pharmacological treatment

Treatment as usual (TAU, pharmacological treatment)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants received their usual treatment. They were visited by their psychiatrist in order to monitor their adherence and continuation on medications as prescribed. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were the same as for the experimental group. Participants in the TAU group did not receive DAT sessions.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Dog-Assisted Therapy and pharmacological treatment