3 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
This study investigates the roles of oxytocin pathways in human-animal interaction.
This study investigated the human-animal interaction (HAI) and bond (HAB) between a canine trained in therapy techniques or a canine plush toy and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during animal-assisted therapy (AAT) sessions. The purpose of this study is to explore identified gaps in knowledge pertaining to AAT in pediatric ASD care management by documenting human interaction between either a live canine or the plush toy canine during AAT sessions and evaluating prosocial behaviors observed during and after AAT sessions. This study addressed the following research questions: 1. How do children with autism ages 2 to 18 years interact with a live canine during AAT sessions? 2. How do children with autism ages 2 to 18 years interact with a toy plush dog during AAT sessions? 3. Is there a difference in HAI in the live canine group and the toy plush dog group? 4. Is there a difference in prosocial behavior observed during AAT sessions between the live canine group and the toy plush dog group? 5. Is there a difference in behavior after AAT sessions between the live canine group and the toy plush dog group? Participants were randomly assigned to either the live canine or toy plush dog group. Adaptive functioning and social responsiveness evaluations were obtained to compare baseline behavior between the two groups. Participants attended an AAT session once weekly for 6 to 8 weeks. Each group received the same therapy provided by the therapist; the only difference being the incorporation of a live canine during the therapy session. Caregivers completed a weekly assessment depicting participants' positive and negative affect at the beginning of each session. Caregivers also completed a monthly assessment noting strengths and difficulties in social functioning and behavior at the start of the first, middle, and final session. AAT sessions were recorded and behavior occurring during the sessions was coded to note HAI and HAB that occurred during the sessions.
The overall purpose of this study is to determine feasibility and preliminary efficacy of pet therapy, or human-animal interactions (HAI), for children (5-12 years of age) with or at risk for LD. Children among 4 reading groups will be randomly assigned to a HAI intervention or control group. The 2 HAI intervention reading groups will receive visits from a registered canine team during children's small group reading sessions twice a week over 12 weeks. The 2 control reading groups will receive care as usual and offered a 1-time visit from the dog at the end of the study (after T3 completed). Two weeks of initial work will focus on preliminary modifications to the protocol. Parents will complete electronic measures of psychological outcomes (child depression, anxiety, QOL) via REDCap at baseline (T1), 2 weeks post-baseline (T2), and 12 weeks post-baseline (T3). The investigators will obtain copies of reading assessments already conducted by the teachers at T1 and T3. Children's salivary cortisol will be obtained from participants in the intervention groups at T1, T2, and T3. Children and their parents will complete concluding interviews at study end (T3) to further inform what they liked and did not like about the intervention. Results of the proposed study will provide critical data for a future full-scale randomized clinical trial (R01) to examine the impact of HAI on psychological, physiological, and reading outcomes in children with or at risk for LD.