NEuroMuscular Omnicenter (NEMO), Fondazione Serena Onlus, Arenzano, Genoa, Italy -
Azienda Sanitaria Locale ASL4 Chiavarese, Chiavari, Genoa, Italy -
Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2024 Jun;60(3):470-476. doi: 10.23736/S1973-9087.24.08343-6. Epub 2024 May 14.
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is an intervention in which the animal acts as a co-therapist. It has been mainly used in the context of patients with dementia, showing positive effects on psychological symptoms, but its potential as a physiotherapy treatment for patients with neuromuscular disorders, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in particular, has not yet been investigated.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of AAT, specifically of dog-assisted therapy, on motor functions and psychological status in patients with ALS.
This study was a randomized controlled pilot study.
The study was carried out at the Rehabilitation Unit NEuroMuscular Omnicenter (NEMO) of Arenzano, Genoa.
Sixty hospitalized ALS patients were enrolled.
All patients ran a regular two-weeks neurorehabilitation program twice a day. For three days a week, in place of the morning traditional treatment, the AAT group performed a rehabilitation session with a simultaneous interaction with the therapy-dog, while the control group performed a traditional rehabilitation session. The outcome measures were the Timed Up and Go Test, the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), the Six Minutes Walk Test, the Ten Meters walking Test and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.
Both groups showed an amelioration in motor scales. However, SPPB subscales as well as HADS scores showed a statistically significant improvement only in the AAT group (P values from <0.0001 to 0.0004). Additionally, across almost all motor and psychological measures, post-treatments values were significantly better for the AAT group (P values from <0.0001 to 0.01).
The obtained results not only suggest that AAT is comparable to traditional physiotherapy treatments, but also evidence that this type of treatment has greater beneficial effects on motor and psychological symptoms in patients with ALS.
This study provides first evidence that AAT is a powerful rehabilitation strategy in patients with ALS, improving both motor and psychological symptoms, and therefore possibly ameliorating quality of life.
动物辅助疗法（AAT）是一种干预措施，其中动物充当共同治疗师。它主要用于痴呆症患者，对心理症状有积极影响，但它作为神经肌肉疾病患者，特别是肌萎缩侧索硬化症（ALS）的物理治疗方法的潜力尚未得到研究。
本研究旨在评估动物辅助治疗，特别是狗辅助治疗，对 ALS 患者运动功能和心理状态的影响。
这是一项随机对照初步研究。
该研究在热那亚阿雷赞诺的神经肌肉综合中心（NEMO）康复病房进行。
共纳入 60 名住院 ALS 患者。
所有患者均接受为期两周的神经康复计划，每天两次。每周三天，AAT 组代替上午的传统治疗进行与治疗犬同时互动的康复治疗，而对照组则进行传统康复治疗。结果测量包括计时起立行走测试、简短身体表现电池测试（SPPB）、六分钟步行测试、十米步行测试和医院焦虑和抑郁量表。
两组运动量表均有改善。然而，SPPB 亚量表以及 HADS 评分仅在 AAT 组显示出统计学上的显著改善（P 值从<0.0001 到 0.0004）。此外，几乎所有的运动和心理测量结果，AAT 组的治疗后值均显著优于对照组（P 值从<0.0001 到 0.01）。
这些结果不仅表明 AAT 可与传统物理治疗相媲美，还证明这种治疗类型对 ALS 患者的运动和心理症状具有更大的有益影响。
本研究首次提供证据表明，AAT 是 ALS 患者强有力的康复策略，可改善运动和心理症状，从而可能改善生活质量。
