Title: Urinary Oxytocin Levels in Children Receiving Animal-Assisted Therapy

NCT ID: NCT06414876

Last Updated: 2024-05-16

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 50 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2016-02-02
• Study Completion Date: 2017-05-24

Brief Summary

There has been growing interest in animal-assisted therapy (AAT) in recent decades due to increasing reports indicating its health benefits for adult patients. These benefits are partly attributed to changes, usually increased levels of the neuropeptide oxytocin.

Aim: To investigate changes in oxytocin levels in hospitalized children during animal-assisted therapy sessions with a certified hospital dog.

Method: Urine samples were collected from 35 hospitalized children (3-17 years) before and after each participant had a session with the hospital dog. Oxytocin levels were analysed with an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Creatinine levels were measured to determine the subject's fluid intake and then divided by the hormonal concentration (uOT pg/mg).

Conditions

Animal Assisted Therapy

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

The children played with the hospital dog and then by themselves.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Hospital dog

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The hospital dog always has a well educated dog instructor beside.

The children played by themselves and then with the hospital dog.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Hospital dog

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The hospital dog always has a well educated dog instructor beside.

Interventions

Hospital dog

The hospital dog always has a well educated dog instructor beside.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

The children played with the hospital dog in about 40 minutes.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Hospitalized children

Exclusion Criteria

• Multiresistent bacteria
• Immunosuppressed
• Large burns

• Minimum Eligible Age: 3 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 17 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Uppsala University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Other Identifiers

UOLinCRAAT_Uppsala University

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id