Optimal Dog Visits

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

186 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2015-01-01

Study Completion Date

2017-11-01

Brief Summary

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The aim of this project is to study how an the intensity of dog contact during dog visits in nursing homes can affect the immediate response to, and the general effect of the visits, and whether the residents' level of cognitive impairment affects the response and benefit of dog visits.

The participants are randomly assigned to receive one type of visits (12 visits in total) out of three possible visit types (1: visit with a dog; 2: visit with a dog, including a planned activity, 3 visit without a dog, including a planned activity). The residents received 2 visits per week for 6 weeks. The behaviour of the participants during visits is recorded. Before and after the intervention period, participants are scores on psychometric scales for cognitive impairment level, daily function level and symptoms of depression.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Dementia Aging

Keywords

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Animal-assisted therapy visiting dog non-pharmacological nursing home

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

The design of the study is a stratified and randomized complete block design. Each nursing home is a block. The participants are allocated randomly to one of the three visit types (1) Visits with a dog, no activity (D); 2) Visits with a dog, with activity (DA); or 3) Visits without dog, with an activity (A), balancing for the level of cognitive impairment, measured by the MMSE-scale. This was achieved by ranking the participants according to MMSE score within sex and allocating them to the three visit types by using different numerical orders in each nursing home (1, 2, 3; 3, 1, 2; 2, 3, 1 etc.).

Primary Study Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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1: Dog visit with a dog, no additional activity (D)

The nursing home resident receives 12 10-minute visits in their own room. The visitor is accompanied with a dog, and the resident can touch the dog. Apart from the visitor, an observer is present.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Dog visit

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

An visitor visits the participant with a dog

2: Dog visit with an additional activity (DA)

The nursing home resident receives 12 10-minute visits in their own room. The visitor is accompanied with a dog, and the resident can touch the dog. During the visit, the visitor offers the resident to participate in an activity that involves interacting with the dog.

Apart from the visitor, an observer is present.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Dog visit

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

An visitor visits the participant with a dog

Encourage to engage in activity

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

In each visit the visitor invites the participant to engage in an activitty

3: Visit without dog, with an additional activity (A)

The nursing home resident receives 12 10-minute visits in their own room. During the visit, the visitor offers the resident to participate in an activity.

Apart from the visitor, an observer is present, but no dog is present..

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Encourage to engage in activity

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

In each visit the visitor invites the participant to engage in an activitty

Interventions

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Dog visit

An visitor visits the participant with a dog

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Encourage to engage in activity

In each visit the visitor invites the participant to engage in an activitty

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

• Being able to sit up during the visits

Exclusion Criteria

* Dog allergy
* Fear of dogs
* Health problems that make participation unadvisable

Minimum Eligible Age

60 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Karen Thodberg

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Aarhus

Other Identifiers

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