Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
School of Social and Political Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Psychogeriatrics. 2020 Jul;20(4):510-521. doi: 10.1111/psyg.12529. Epub 2020 Feb 17.
This systematic review investigated evidence for the effectiveness of trained assistance dogs as an intervention and support for people with dementia. Peer-reviewed articles were retrieved from multiple databases (SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Google Scholar). Reference lists of the articles retrieved were also screened to identify key authors for inclusion. Articles were subject to a quality review, and the results synthesised to address the research questions. Both qualitative and quantitative data were reported. There was evidence of the potential positive effects of dog-assisted interventions in relation to mood, prosocial behaviours, activities of daily living and/or quality of life, cognitive impairment and symptoms specific to dementia, and existential functions. However, the form and quality of the studies varied considerably. It was concluded that further research is needed, particularly for those with younger onset dementia (YOD), for whom there were no specific studies available. Attention needs to be given to establishing adequate-sized samples and designs incorporating control groups. Research would benefit from employing mixed-methods, allowing for the triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data. For deteriorating conditions such as the dementias, studies need to be conducted over time. Furthermore, given the important place family members play in the lives of those with dementia, the effects of dog-assisted interventions on the wider family should also be considered.
本系统评价调查了经过训练的辅助犬作为一种干预和支持痴呆症患者的有效性的证据。从多个数据库（SCOPUS、Web of Science 和 Google Scholar）中检索到同行评审的文章。还对检索到的文章的参考文献列表进行了筛选，以确定纳入的主要作者。对文章进行了质量审查，并综合结果以回答研究问题。报告了定性和定量数据。有证据表明，犬辅助干预在情绪、亲社会行为、日常生活活动和/或生活质量、认知障碍和痴呆症特定症状以及存在功能方面具有潜在的积极影响。然而，研究的形式和质量差异很大。结论是需要进一步研究，特别是对于那些发病年龄较轻的痴呆症（YOD）患者，因为目前尚无专门针对他们的研究。需要注意的是，要建立足够大的样本，并设计包含对照组的研究。研究将受益于采用混合方法，允许对定性和定量数据进行三角测量。对于痴呆等恶化的情况，需要随着时间的推移进行研究。此外，鉴于家庭成员在痴呆症患者生活中占有重要地位，还应考虑犬辅助干预对更广泛的家庭的影响。
