Benefits of dog-assisted therapy in patients with dementia residing in aged care centers in Spain

11Citations
Citations of this article
147Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

(1) Background: Currently, the scientific evidence on the benefits of assisted therapy with dogs in dementia is not clear. In this study, we want to evaluate such benefits through a randomized controlled clinical trial in multiple centers across the country. (2) Methods: The participants were people over 65 years old with dementia, residing in senior centers in Spain (n = 334). The experimental group underwent assisted therapy with dogs based on the Comprehensive Cognitive Activation Program in Dementia, for 8 months, with weekly sessions of 45 min. Data were collected at the commencement, middle, and end of the program, to evaluate the aspects using the Mini-Examination Cognitive, the modified Bartell Index, the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia and the Neu-ropsychiatric Inventory. (3) Results: The results show significant improvements in the experimental group versus the control group in the affective (T1 = p 0.000; T2 = p 0.000) and behavioral (T1 = p 0.005; T2 = 0.000) aspects, with the affective aspect displaying greater progress in participants with additional depressive (p = 0.022) or anxiety (p = 0.000) disorders, shorter institutionalization periods (r = −0.222, p = 0.004), and those undergoing complementary psychotherapy (p = 0.033) or alternative therapy (p = 0.011). (4) Conclusions: Dog therapy is effective in improving the affective and behavioral aspects of institutionalized patients with dementia.

References Powered by Scopus

Cornell scale for depression in dementia

2323Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Current perspectives on therapy dog welfare in animal-assisted interventions

169Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Comorbidity and polypharmacy in people with dementia: Insights from a large, population-based cross-sectional analysis of primary care data

149Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Cited by Powered by Scopus

Effects of animal-assisted therapy on patients with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

15Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Effects of dog‐assisted therapies on cognitive mnemonic capabilities in people affected by alzheimer’s disease

13Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Effects of animal-assisted therapy on gait performance, respiratory function, and psychological variables in patients post-stroke

9Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Parra, E. V., Garre, J. M. H., & Pérez, P. E. (2021). Benefits of dog-assisted therapy in patients with dementia residing in aged care centers in Spain. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18041471

Readers over time

‘21‘22‘23‘24‘25015304560

Readers' Seniority

Tooltip

PhD / Post grad / Masters / Doc 14

45%

Researcher 8

26%

Lecturer / Post doc 5

16%

Professor / Associate Prof. 4

13%

Readers' Discipline

Tooltip

Nursing and Health Professions 17

43%

Medicine and Dentistry 10

25%

Psychology 9

23%

Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medic... 4

10%

Article Metrics

Tooltip
Mentions
Blog Mentions: 1
News Mentions: 1
Social Media
Shares, Likes & Comments: 255

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free
0