Influences Of Animal-Assisted Therapy Research Articles

Influences of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Episodic Memory in Patients with Acquired Brain Injuries.

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is shown to be an effective method to foster neurorehabilitation. However, no studies investigate long-term effects of AAT in patients with acquired brain injuries. Therefore, the aim of this pilot study was to investigate if and how AAT affects long-term episodic memory using a mixed-method approach. Eight patients rated pictures of therapy sessions with and without animals that they attended two years ago. Wilcoxon tests calculated differences in patients’ memory and experienced emotions between therapy sessions with or without animals. We also analyzed interviews of six of these patients with qualitative content analysis according to Mayring. Patients remembered therapy sessions in the presence of an animal significantly better and rated them as more positive compared to standard therapy sessions without animals (Z = −3.21, p = 0.002, g = 0.70; Z = −2.75, p = 0.006, g = 0.96). Qualitative data analysis resulted in a total of 23 categories. The most frequently addressed categories were “Positive emotions regarding animals” and “Good memory of animals”. This pilot study provides first evidence that AAT might enhance episodic memory via positive emotions in patients with acquired brain injury.

Dogs as an Adjunct to Therapy: Effects of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Rehabilitation Following Spinal Cord Injury

ABSTRACTApproximately 17,000 new cases of spinal cord injury (SCI) are reported annually in the United States. Rehabilitation from SCI involves substantial mental, emotional, and physical challenges. Using a randomized controlled trial design, we assessed the efficacy of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) as an aid in rehabilitation following a SCI. We hypothesized that patients with SCI undergoing rehabilitation occupational therapy with AAT would demonstrate greater positive shifts in mood and outlook, reduced pain, and reduced stress compared with patients exposed to the same rehabilitation therapy but without AAT. Over four sessions of occupational therapy, 31 patients completed standard rehabilitation activities (control group) or rehabilitation activities integrating an animal therapy team (treatment group). Patients completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) at each session, had salivary cortisol sampled at the second session, and completed the Brief Pain Inventory at study baseline and exit. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVAs and t-tests. The results revealed a small but significant effect of animal-assisted therapy on self-reported negative affect. Findings for group differences on positive affect, stress, and pain unpleasantness were null, although non-significant findings were in the hypothesized direction for several variables and yielded small effect sizes. Continued research is needed on the influence of AAT on mood improvement, stress reduction, and ultimately improved physical health outcomes during rehabilitation after SCI.

Hundgestützte multisensorische Therapie bei einer Patientin mit „persistierendem vegetativen Zustand“ – ein Fallbericht

There is evidence that animal-assisted therapy can have beneficial effects in patients with cognitive disorders. In the present case study, the influence of animal-assisted therapy was to be investigated in a patient with most severe cerebral lesions. A 27 year old patient with a persistent vegetative state since 5 years after severe traumatic brain injury received long term treatment by 54 sessions of animal-assisted therapy. During the course of the therapeutic interventions, the patient showed more and more signs of vegetative, emotional and motor reactions. The latter were increasingly target-bound and at last allowed a simple type of non-verbal communication. The present case indicates that animal-assisted therapy can be a reasonable option to treat patients with most severe cerebral lesions. Furthermore, the results illustrate that the usual diagnostic classification such as "persistent vegetative state" based on a neurological investigation alone may be questionable. Possible reasons for the impact of animal-assisted therapy are complex and comprise e.g. multiple sensory stimuli.

A influência da terapia assistida por animais na funcionalidade de uma criança com diplegia espástica: um estudo de caso

Introdução: O diplégico espástico apresenta uma série de comprometimentos funcionais devido à condição física que lhe é imposta, principalmente em membros inferiores. A Terapia Assistida por Animais (TAA), na qual o principal componente da equipe é o animal, começa a se destacar, apesar de ser um recurso terapêutico ainda pouco pesquisado. Objetivo: Neste estudo, objetivou-se verificar a influência da TAA na sua funcionalidade. Método: Realizou-se um trabalho qualiquantitativo, caracterizado por um estudo de caso, com uma criança diplégica espástica. Para mensuração dos resultados, aplicaram-se ao cuidador da criança o questionário Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) e uma entrevista semiestruturada. A evolução da criança foi registrada em diário de campo pelos pesquisadores. Resultados: Ao término do estudo, identificou-se uma melhora funcional nos quesitos de autocuidado, mobilidade e função social. Conclusão: Percebeu-se que a TAA é um recurso terapêutico lúdico e estimulante, capaz de proporcionar melhor desempenho das atividades funcionais da criança.

Dogs in child psychotherapy: Effects on state of mind

Using a pretest-posttest design, this study investigates possible influences of animal-assisted therapy (AAT), using a dog, on the state of mind of children and adolescents who have undergone inpatient psychiatric treatment. To measure this, the Basler Befindlichkeits-Skala (BBS) was used, which measures general “state of mind” and provides four sub-scale scores: vitality, intra-emotional balance, social extroversion, and alertness. For Group 1 patients (n = 61, with AAT), the results show highly significant increases in all dimensions of the BBS. These changes were not found in a second group (Group 2, n = 39), in which there was no AAT. There was a significant negative correlation between pretest BBS scores and the change in scores that occurred after therapy incorporating AAT. Among seven patients in Group 1, a deterioration in state of mind was recorded. Under our controlled clinical conditions, an effect size of 0.38 was calculated for the therapy using a dog. Incorporating a dog could catalyze psychotherapeutic work with children and adolescents.