Beckmann, Antje

It has already been established that animals can positively influence human quality of life and well-being in various ways (see Nestmann, 2005). This longitudinal field study, ‘Animals at the Johanniter-Stift Nursing Home’, is the first to investigate the effects of animal-assisted activities on the quality of life and well-being of elderly nursing home patients with […]

Travers, Catherine, Perkins, Jacqueline, Rand, Jacqui, Bartlett, Helen, Morton, John

Although some research suggests that dog-assisted therapy may be beneficial for people with dementia living in residential aged care facilities, the intervention has not been adequately investigated. To address this shortcoming, we conducted a randomized controlled trial of dog-assisted therapy versus a human-therapist-only intervention for this population. Fifty-five residents with mild to moderate dementia living […]

Nordgren, Lena, Engström, Gabriella

Aim: To evaluate the effect of a dog-assisted intervention on the behavioural and psychological symptoms of residents with dementia during a six-month period.; Method: The study was conducted in eight nursing homes in Sweden. A total of 33 residents with dementia, 20 in the intervention group and 13 in the control group, were recruited. The […]

Mossello, Enrico, Ridolfi, Alessandro, Mello, Anna Maria, Lorenzini, Giulia, Mugnai, Francesca, Piccini, Carolina, Barone, Domenico, Peruzzi, Anna, Masotti, Giulio, Marchionni, Niccolò

Background: Preliminary studies suggest beneficial effects of animal-assisted activities (AAA) on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), but data are inconsistent. This study aimed to assess the effect of AAA with dogs on cognition, BPSD, emotional status and motor activity in severe Alzheimer’s disease (AD).; Methods: Ten patients attending an Alzheimer Day Care Center […]

MORETTI, Francesca, DE RONCHI, Diana, BERNABEI, Virginia, MARCHETTI, Lucia, FERRARI, Barbara, FORLANI, Claudia, NEGRETTI, Francesca, SACCHETTI, Cleta, ATTI, Anna Rita

Background: To evaluate the effects of pet therapy on cognitive function, mood and perceived quality of life on elderly inpatients (mean age 84.7 years; 95.2% women) affected by dementia, depression and psychosis.; Methods: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and 15-items Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were administered to 10 patients (pet group) and 11 controls (control group) […]

Marx, M. S., Cohen-Mansfield, J., Regier, N. G., Dakheel-Ali, M., Srihari, A., Thein, K.

Objective: To provide further empirical evaluation of the effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy in nursing home residents with dementia. Methods: Participants were 56 residents of 2 suburban Maryland nursing homes and had a diagnosis. Activities of daily living performance was assessed via the minimum data set and cognitive functioning assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination. Engagement […]

Majić, Tomislav, Gutzmann, Hans, Heinz, Andreas, Lang, Undine E., Rapp, Michael A.

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) on symptoms of agitation/aggression and depression in nursing home residents with dementia in a randomized controlled trial. Previous studies have indicated that AAT has beneficial effects on neuropsychiatric symptoms in various psychiatric disorders but few studies have investigated the efficacy of AAT in patients suffering from […]

Majić, Tomislav, Gutzmann, Hans, Heinz, Andreas, Lang, Undine E., Rapp, Michael A.

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) on symptoms of agitation/aggression and depression in nursing home residents with dementia in a randomized controlled trial. Previous studies have indicated that AAT has beneficial effects on neuropsychiatric symptoms in various psychiatric disorders but few studies have investigated the efficacy of AAT in patients suffering from […]