IJERPH, Vol. 16, Pages 3272: The Effect of Animal-Assisted Therapy on the State of Patients ’ Health After a Stroke: A Pilot Study

IJERPH, Vol. 16, Pages 3272: The Effect of Animal-Assisted Therapy on the State of Patients’ Health After a Stroke: A Pilot Study International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph16183272 Authors: Kristýna Machová Radka Procházková Michal Říha Ivona Svobodová 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 ...
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research