Description Module
The Description Module contains narrative descriptions of the clinical trial, including a brief summary and detailed description. These descriptions provide important information about the study's purpose, methodology, and key details in language accessible to both researchers and the general public.
Description Module path is as follows:
Study -> Protocol Section -> Description Module
Description Module
Ignite Creation Date:
2025-12-25 @ 3:55 AM
Ignite Modification Date:
2025-12-25 @ 3:55 AM
NCT ID:
NCT02629302
Brief Summary:
The study investigates the effects of animal-assisted therapy on patients with severe disorders of consciousness. The focus lies on the short-term biopsychosocial effects that occur when animals are present during therapy sessions in comparison to therapy sessions without animals, observing a group of 10 patients during 16 therapy sessions.
While half of the sessions are held in presence of an animal and half without, they are as comparable as possible with respect to content and setting. In this study, patients in a minimal conscious state are recruited.
Detailed Description:
This pilot study is designed as a controlled cross-over, within-subject trial with repeated measurement. The experimental condition is the standardised therapy session using therapy animals (AAT), while the control condition is the comparable "standard" therapy session without the presence of an animal.
Over a period of four weeks, patients have four standardised therapy sessions per week, that alternate in a way that two sessions in two consecutive weeks are similar except for one is with the presence of animals and one without. In this way, data is collected over 16 therapy sessions (8 experimental, 8 control) for each patient.
Each therapy session lasts about 20 minutes.
The study takes place at REHAB Basel. Animal-assisted therapies are held in a special room at REHAB Basel in the presence of one or more small animals that will be selected by the therapist.
Patients are allocated randomly to start with either the experimental or the control condition.
Study:
NCT02629302
Study Brief:
Protocol Section:
NCT02629302