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Is Animal-Assisted Therapy for Minimally Conscious State Beneficial? A Case Study.


ABSTRACT:

Objective

The goal of this single case study was to qualitatively investigate the effects of animal-assisted therapy in a patient in a minimally conscious state.

Method

We present a 28-year-old female patient in a minimally conscious state following polytrauma after a sports accident leading to cerebral fat embolism causing multiple CNS ischemic lesions. She received eight animal-assisted therapy sessions and eight paralleled control therapy sessions over 4 weeks. We investigated the reactions of the patient during these sessions via qualitative behavior analysis.

Results

The patient showed a broader variability and higher quality of behavior during animal-assisted therapy compared to control therapy sessions.

Conclusion

The observed behavioral changes showed higher arousal and increased awareness in the presence of an animal. The presented case supports the assumption that animal-assisted therapy can be a beneficial treatment approach for patients in a minimally conscious state.

SUBMITTER: Boitier JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7270332 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Is Animal-Assisted Therapy for Minimally Conscious State Beneficial? A Case Study.

Boitier Jacqueline P JP   Huber Marion M   Saleh Christian C   Kerry Matthew J MJ   Hund-Georgiadis Margret M   Hediger Karin K  

Frontiers in psychiatry 20200528


<h4>Objective</h4>The goal of this single case study was to qualitatively investigate the effects of animal-assisted therapy in a patient in a minimally conscious state.<h4>Method</h4>We present a 28-year-old female patient in a minimally conscious state following polytrauma after a sports accident leading to cerebral fat embolism causing multiple CNS ischemic lesions. She received eight animal-assisted therapy sessions and eight paralleled control therapy sessions over 4 weeks. We investigated  ...[more]

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