Clinical Research Directory
Browse clinical research sites, groups, and studies.
Animal-Assisted Therapy Combined With Standard Rehabilitation for Motor Recovery in Dementia Patients in a Medical and Rehabilitation Care Unit
Sponsor: LNA SANTE
Summary
The goal of this randomized study is to find out if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) - a structured program where trained animals take part in care sessions guided by health professionals - can help improve movement abilities in older adults with dementia or memory-related conditions who are staying in a medical rehabilitation unit. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Can adding animal-assisted therapy to standard rehabilitation improve participants' movement and motor abilities better than standard rehabilitation alone? * Can this combined approach help participants stay more independent in daily activities? * Can this combined approach improve participants' quality of life? * Can this combined approach reduce the risk of falls? Researchers will compare two groups: * Group 1 (experimental): Standard rehabilitation + animal-assisted therapy sessions with a trained dog and/or rabbits * Group 2 (control): Standard rehabilitation alone Both groups attend 2 one-hour rehabilitation sessions per week for 4 weeks. Participants will: * Complete movement and daily-life ability tests at the start and end of the study * Attend 8 rehabilitation sessions (over 4 weeks) * Participants in the animal therapy group will interact with a trained dog and/or rabbits during sessions, guided by a certified nurse-animal therapist, a psychomotor therapist, and a nursing assistant * Be assessed at the end of the 4-week program (Week 6) to measure any changes in motor abilities, independence, quality of life, and fall risk
Official title: Impact of a Combined Rehabilitation and Animal-Assisted Therapy Approach on the Recovery of Motor Abilities in Patients With Dementia Hospitalized in a Medical and Rehabilitation Care Unit
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
32
Start Date
2026-09
Completion Date
2027-12
Last Updated
2026-07-28
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
Animal-Assisted Therapy
Structured AAT sessions integrating psychomotor rehabilitation, delivered by a certified nurse-animal therapist, psychomotor therapist, and nursing assistant. Frequency: 2 sessions × 1 hour/week for 4 weeks (8 sessions). Individualized therapeutic motor objectives defined before first session. Each session: (1) welcome/emotions check-in; (2) animal introduction and contact; (3) motor exercises across 5 domains: global motor function, balance/posture, fine motor skills/praxis, body schema, sensory-motor stimulation; (4) session debrief. Animals: 1 dog and/or 2-4 rabbits. Maximum 2 participants per session.
Standard psychomotor rehabilitation
Group psychomotor rehabilitation sessions led by the establishment's certified psychomotor therapist. Frequency: 2 group sessions × 1 hour/week for 4 weeks (8 sessions total). Sessions address fine and manual motor skills, static and dynamic coordination, posture, muscle tone, and praxis. Participants also receive individualized physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and adapted physical activity as part of standard geriatric rehabilitation care.
Locations (1)
Institut Médical de Sologne LNA Santé
Lamotte-Beuvron, France