NCT03341325

Neurovascular Reactions to AAT in Patients With DOC

Neurovascular Reactions to Animal-assisted Therapy in Patients With Severe Disorders of Consciousness (DOC): a Randomized-controlled Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 44 (actual)
• Sponsor: Swiss Tropical & Public Health Institute · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

There is practical evidence but no scientific investigations that persons with severe disorders of consciousness can profit from animal-assisted therapy regarding their level of awareness. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of animal-assisted therapy on brain activity of inpatients at REHAB Basel with severe disorders of consciousness. To do so, the frontal brain activity of 20 the inpatients at REHAB Basel in a minimally conscious state is investigated via near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Moreover, 20 healthy participants are included as control subjects.

Detailed description

Each participant will be measured in 6 sessions. Sessions take place three times a week for 2 weeks (leading up to a total of 3 experimental sessions and 3 control sessions), each lasting for about 15 minutes. Each session consists of 5 phases, with an animal present in three of them. In the beginning, waiting (with no stimulus presented) serves as baseline measurement. Second, an animal is watched, then the animal is placed on the patient's lap and in the fourth condition, the patient can stroke the animal with the help of the present therapist. After, there is again a waiting condition. Control sessions are comparable sessions but with a fur pet instead of a live animal as stimulus. Measurements are: brain activity (near-infrared spectroscopy, NIRS), skin conductance (EDA), heart rate and heart rate variability assessed via photoplethysmography (PPG) during the sessions and the BAVESTA score after each session. For further behavior analysis all sessions are videotaped.

Conditions

• Consciousness Disorder
• Brain Injuries

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	animal-assisted activity	a live animal (small dog and/or rabbit)
OTHER	control activity	a stuffed toy animal

Timeline

• Start date: 2017-02-01
• Primary completion: 2021-06-28
• Completion: 2021-06-28
• First posted: 2017-11-14
• Last updated: 2021-09-24

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Switzerland