The Effect of Animal-Assisted Therapy on the State of Patients’ Health After a Stroke: A Pilot Study

Kristýna Machová, Radka Procházková, Michal Říha and Ivona Svobodová
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Kristýna Machová: Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic
Radka Procházková: Department of Statistics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic
Michal Říha: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Military University Hospital Prague, Department of Neurosurgery and Neurooncology, Military University Hospital and First Medical Faculty, Charles University, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic
Ivona Svobodová: Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 18, 1-10

Abstract: A stroke is a condition that can give rise to consequences such as cognitive and physical constraints, which sometimes manifest in the psychological condition of the patient. Such patients commence rehabilitation as soon as is possible, which involves a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment. One aspect of complementary rehabilitation could be animal-assisted therapy (AAT). A total of 15 individuals were split into an experimental group comprising 6 patients (2 males, 4 females), and a control group of 9 patients (3 males, 6 females). The participants in the control group were aged from 43 to 87 years and the experimental group featured participants aged from 45 to 76 years. Both groups received standard physiotherapy and occupational therapy. In addition, the experimental group was supplemented with AAT, with the animal in question being a dog. The tools primarily applied to measure the outcomes were the Barthel index, blood pressure, and heart rate measurements, whereas the Likert scale was employed to discern the mood of the patients. The results showed that changes in the values for heart rate and blood pressure were insignificant. However, a statistically significant aspect of the research pertained to the patients confirming that they felt better after the AAT sessions. Hence, AAT could potentially bolster the effectiveness of other therapies.

Keywords: stroke; animal assisted therapy; rehabilitation; dog (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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