Effects of Equine Assisted Activities on Veterans With Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Rutgers The State University of New Jersey

Status: Completed

Conditions: Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Treatments: Other: equine assisted activities

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04850573

Pro2019001999

Details and patient eligibility

About

The study will examine the effects of eight weeks of equine assisted activities (EAA) on co-regulation, basal physiological values, and symptom severity in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Heart rate, respiration rate, surface electromyography (EMG) and plasma concentrations of cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and oxytocin will be measured at rest and during dyadic interaction tasks (human to human or human to horse) to assess effects of EAA on these measures. Additionally, standard and regularly used questionnaires will be used to monitor PTSD symptom severity during the study and 6-month follow-up period. EAA is expected to lower PTSD symptom severity, and mitigate other physiological changes associated with PTSD.

Enrollment: 9 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• male
• was deployed and experienced combat in Iraq or Afghanistan
• between 18 and 65 years of age

Exclusion criteria

• female
• amputation
• severe traumatic brain injury
• schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, or substance dependence in the last 3 months
• pacemaker
• allergies to horses
• previous enrollment in equine assisted activities or psychotherapy in an equine environment

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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9 participants in 2 patient groups

EAA

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this arm will take part in eight weekly thirty minute sessions of equine facilitated learning where they interact with a horse and learn basic horsemanship skills.

Treatment:

Other: equine assisted activities

Control

No Intervention group