Effects of Animal-assisted Therapy on Brain-injured Patients

Swiss Tropical and Public Health (TPH) Institute

Status: Completed

Conditions: Impaired Social Functioning

Treatments: Other: standard therapy; Other: animal assisted therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02599766

Ref.Nr.EK:296/13

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose is to investigate whether animal-assisted therapy has positive biopsychosocial effects on patients with brain injuries. This study investigates the short-term biopsychosocial effects that occur when animals are present during therapy sessions in comparison to therapy sessions without animals, observing a group of 25 patients over 24 therapy sessions. While half of the sessions are held in presence of an animal and half without, they are as comparable as possible with respect to content and setting. In this study, patients who are in a slightly advanced rehabilitation process, assessed via their function profile, are investigated.

Full description

This study is designed as a controlled cross-over, within-subject trial with repeated measurement. The experimental condition is the standardised therapy session using therapy animals (AAT), while the control condition is the comparable "standard" therapy session without the presence of an animal.

Over a period of six weeks, patients have four standardised therapy sessions per week, that alternate in a way that two sessions in two consecutive weeks are similar except for one is with the presence of animals and one without. In this way, data is collected over 24 therapy sessions (12 experimental, 12 control) for each patient.

Each therapy session lasts 30 minutes with an additional 5 minutes before and 10 minutes after the session for filling in the questionnaires.

The study takes place at REHAB Basel. Animal-assisted therapies will be held at the "Therapie-Tiergarten" at REHAB Basel in the presence of one or more animals that will be selected by the therapist and the patient together and with which the patient has a relationship.

Patients who are willing to join the study will be selected and allocated randomly to start with either the experimental or the control condition.

Participation in the study will be cancelled if a patient wishes to do so or if they choose to withdraw from the animal-assisted therapy program. Other criteria for withdrawal are if the patient is harmed by an animal or if the animals are abused by the patient.

Enrollment: 22 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• patient at REHAB Basel
• brain-injury
• willing to participate in animal-assisted therapies
• physical and psychological resilience and ability to go/be transported outside to the "Therapie-Tiergarten"
• ability to get in contact with the animal autonomously

Exclusion criteria

• medical contraindications:allergies, phobias, etc.
• no willingness to participate in animal-assisted therapies
• patient might present a danger to the animals (aggressive behaviour)
• patient's medication changes radically during the time of data collection

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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22 participants in 2 patient groups

animal assisted therapy

Experimental group

Description:

"Standard therapy" that is done in the presence and with integrating an animal.

Treatment:

Other: animal assisted therapy

standard therapy

Active Comparator group

Description:

"Standard therapy" without the presence of an animal.

Treatment:

Other: standard therapy