Neurovascular Reactions to AAT in Patients With DOC

NCT ID: NCT03341325

Last Updated: 2021-09-24

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

44 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2017-02-01

Study Completion Date

2021-06-28

Brief Summary

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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

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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

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Consciousness Disorder Brain Injuries

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants

Study Groups

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animal-assisted intervention

the intervention is a real animal is presented in different forms to the participants

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

animal-assisted activity

Intervention Type OTHER

a live animal (small dog and/or rabbit)

control intervention

the control intervention is a stuffed toy animal is presented in different forms to the participants

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

control activity

Intervention Type OTHER

a stuffed toy animal

Interventions

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animal-assisted activity

a live animal (small dog and/or rabbit)

Intervention Type OTHER

control activity

a stuffed toy animal

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Informed Consent as documented by signature (Appendix Informed Consent Form)
* Inpatients of REHAB Basel with severe disorder of consciousness: minimal conscious state defined via: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) / Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (Koma Remissions Skala, KRS/KRS-S) / BAVESTA Score
* Minimum Age of 18 years


* Informed Consent as documented by signature (Appendix Informed Consent Form)
* History of acquired brain-injury
* Minimum age of 18 years

Exclusion Criteria

* Enrolment of the investigator, his/her family members, employees and other dependent persons,
* medical contraindications for contact with animals as allergy, phobia etc.
* If the patient's medication changes radically during the time of data collection (only eligible for clinical participants)
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Rehab Basel

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Basel

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Swiss Tropical & Public Health Institute

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Karin Hediger, Dr. phil.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Swiss TPH

Locations

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REHAB Basel

Basel, , Switzerland

Site Status

Countries

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Switzerland

Other Identifiers

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AAT NIRS

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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