Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31574106›Full record

Trial reportPloS one2019

Animal-assisted therapy for patients in a minimally conscious state: A randomized two treatment multi-period crossover trial.

Karin Hediger, Milena Petignat, Rahel Marti, Margret Hund-Georgiadis

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT02629302 (Effects of Animal-assisted Therapy in Patients With Severe Disorders of Consciousness at REHAB Basel), which is not on this map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
2.5field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT02629302 nacompletednot on this map

Effects of Animal-assisted Therapy in Patients With Severe Disorders of Consciousness at REHAB Basel: a Randomised-controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorSwiss Tropical & Public Health InstituteRan2016 to 2017Enrolled10ConditionsDisorder of ConsciousnessArmsanimal assisted therapy, standard therapy
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Influences of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Episodic Memory in Patients with Acquired Brain Injuries.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020
    Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Karin HedigerDepartment of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-7202-4816
Milena PetignatDepartment of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Rahel MartiDepartment of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Margret Hund-GeorgiadisREHAB Basel, Clinic for neurorehabilitation and paraplegiology, Basel, Switzerland.
University of Basel · CHSwiss Paraplegic Center · CHSwiss Tropical and Public Health Institute · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo investigate if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) leads to higher consciousness in patients in a minimally conscious state during a therapy session, measured via behavioral reactions, heart rate and heart rate variability.

methodsIn a randomized two treatment multi-period crossover trial, 10 patients in a minimally conscious state participated in eight AAT sessions and eight paralleled conventional therapy sessions, leading to 78 AAT and 73 analyzed control sessions. Patients' responses during sessions were assessed via behavioral video coding and the Basler Vegetative State Assessment (BAVESTA), heart rate and heart rate variability (SDNN, RMSSD, HF and LF). Data were analyzed with generalized linear mixed models.

resultsPatients showed more eye movements (IRR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.23 to 1.40, p < 0.001) and active movements per tactile input during AAT compared to control sessions (IRR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.25, p = 0.018). No difference was found for positive emotions. With BAVESTA, patients' overall behavioral reactions were rated higher during AAT (b = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.22, p = 0.038). AAT led to significantly higher LF (b = 5.82, 95% CI: 0.55 to 11.08, p = 0.031) and lower HF (b = -5.80, 95% CI: -11.06 to -0.57, p = 0.030), while heart rate, SDNN, RMSSD did not differ.

conclusionsPatients in a minimally conscious state showed more behavioral reactions and increased physiological arousal during AAT compared to control sessions. This might indicate increased consciousness during therapeutic sessions in the presence of an animal.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02629302.

Indexed as

Animal Assisted TherapyAdolescentAdultAgedAnimalsConsciousnessCross-Over StudiesFemaleHeart RateHumansMaleMiddle AgedPersistent Vegetative State

Identifiers

PMID31574106
PMCPMC6772068
OpenAlexW2977932509

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.