Optimal Dog Visits

Aging Clinical Trial

Official title:

Optimal Dog Visits

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04635124
• Other study ID #: Optimal dog visits
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: January 1, 2015
• Est. completion date: November 1, 2017

Study information

• Verified date: November 2020
• Source: University of Aarhus
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The aim of this project is to study how an the intensity of dog contact during dog visits in nursing homes can affect the immediate response to, and the general effect of the visits, and whether the residents' level of cognitive impairment affects the response and benefit of dog visits.

The participants are randomly assigned to receive one type of visits (12 visits in total) out of three possible visit types (1: visit with a dog; 2: visit with a dog, including a planned activity, 3 visit without a dog, including a planned activity). The residents received 2 visits per week for 6 weeks. The behaviour of the participants during visits is recorded. Before and after the intervention period, participants are scores on psychometric scales for cognitive impairment level, daily function level and symptoms of depression.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 186
• Est. completion date: November 1, 2017
• Est. primary completion date: November 1, 2017
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 60 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being able to sit up during the visits

Exclusion Criteria:

• Dog allergy

• Fear of dogs

• Health problems that make participation unadvisable

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Aging
• Dementia

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Dog visit
An visitor visits the participant with a dog
• Encourage to engage in activity
In each visit the visitor invites the participant to engage in an activitty

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Aarhus

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Behavioural response during visits	The behaviour of the residents is recorded by direct observation using continuous recording. In all visits, the frequency and duration of talk and physical contact to the persons present are recorded. Talk is classified into talk about the dog and/or activity, depending on the visit type. In visits with dogs (D, DA), the frequency and duration of physical contact and talk directed to the dog are recorded, and in visits involving an activity (DA, A), the frequency and duration of the residents' involvement in the activity are recorded.	Behaviour is recorded in all of the 12 visits in the 6 week intervention period
Secondary	Cognitive impairment level, before intervention	All participants were scored on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), which gives information about the participants' cognitive status.The MMSE score has a minimum and maximum value of 0 and 30, respectively. The lower the score, the more severe the cognitively impairment level.	This measure is obtained in the week preceeding the intervention period (6 weeks, 2 visits )
Secondary	Daily function level, before intervention	All participants were scored on The Gottfries-Bråne-Steen Scale (GBS), which is an evaluation of disabilities, language, psychiatric symptoms, average daily living function, and behaviour of the participants. The GBS score has a minimum and maximum value of 0 and 156, respectively. The lower the score, the more well-functioning the patient.	This measure is obtained in the week preceeding the intervention period (6 weeks, 2 visits )
Secondary	Symptoms of depression, before intervention	All participants were scored on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), to screen for symptoms of depression. The GDS score has a minimum and maximum value of 0 and 15, respectively.A high score indicates more symptoms of depression.	This measure is obtained in the week preceeding the intervention period (6 weeks, 2 visits )
Secondary	Cognitive impairment level, after intervention	All participants were scored on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), which gives information about the participants' cognitive status. The MMSE score has a minimum and maximum value of 0 and 30, respectively. The lower the score, the more severe the cognitively impairment level.	This measure is obtained in the week following the intervention period (6 weeks, 2 visits )
Secondary	Daily function level,, after intervention	All participants were scored on The Gottfries-Bråne-Steen Scale (GBS), which is an evaluation of disabilities, language, psychiatric symptoms, average daily living function, and behaviour of the participants. The GBS score has a minimum and maximum value of 0 and 156, respectively. The lower the score, the more well-functioning the patient.	This measure is obtained in the week following the intervention period (6 weeks, 2 visits )
Secondary	Symptoms of depression, after intervention	All participants were scored on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), to screen for symptoms of depression. The GDS score has a minimum and maximum value of 0 and 15, respectively.A high score indicates more symptoms of depression.	This measure is obtained in the week following the intervention period (6 weeks, 2 visits )