Using Equine Therapy in Dementia Cognitive Stimulation (ETMW_DEM)

CESPU University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Dementia

Treatments: Other: Equine assisted therapy memory workshops; Other: Traditional memory workshop

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06662578

05/CE-UICS/2024

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if integrating equine therapy in memory workshops in mild to moderate Dementias can improve cognitive function, quality of life and mood. The main question[s] it aims to answer is:

Does the mediation of a horse in memory workshops increase its effects ?

Researchers will compare traditional memory workshops, memory workshops using equine therapy and a control group to see if the equine therapy mediation will increase cognitive functions, mood and quality of life in individuals with mild to moderate Dementias.

Participants will participate in 8 weekly sessions of equine therapy memory workshops / traditional memory workshops / a control group will not have any interventions during that period. All subjects will be evaluated pre and post intervention period.

Enrollment: 36 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Have been medically diagnosed with Major Neurocognitive Disorders
• Scores between 0.5 and 2 on the Cognitive Dementia Rating scale (CDR) (Berg, 1982)
• Adults of all genders, aged 65 and over; and
• Willingness to participate in a memory workshop; e) willingness to interact with a horse.

Exclusion criteria

• Expressed fear, aversion, or has had a negative experience with horses
• Allergy or other medical condition which did not allow contact with horses.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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36 participants in 3 patient groups

Control group

No Intervention group

Traditional memory workshop

Active Comparator group

Description:

Neurocognitive stimulation as usual

Treatment:

Other: Traditional memory workshop

Equine assisted therapy memory workshop

Experimental group

Description:

Neurocognitive stimulation mediated with a horse based on a defined protocol.

Treatment:

Other: Equine assisted therapy memory workshops