Animal-Assisted Therapy Combined With Standard Rehabilitation for Motor Recovery in Dementia Patients in a Medical and Rehabilitation Care Unit | NCT07730983

NCT07730983

Overview

NCT ID: NCT07730983
Lead Sponsor: LNA SANTEOTHER
Official Title: Impact of a Combined Rehabilitation and Animal-Assisted Therapy Approach on the Recovery of Motor Abilities in Patients With Dementia Hospitalized in a Medical and Rehabilitation Care Unit
Brief Summary: The goal of this randomized study is to find out if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) - a structured program where trained animals take part in care sessions guided by health professionals - can help improve movement abilities in older adults with dementia or memory-related conditions who are staying in a medical rehabilitation unit.

The main questions this study aims to answer are:

Can adding animal-assisted therapy to standard rehabilitation improve participants' movement and motor abilities better than standard rehabilitation alone?

Can this combined approach help participants stay more independent in daily activities?

Can this combined approach improve participants' quality of life?

Can this combined approach reduce the risk of falls?

Researchers will compare two groups:

Group 1 (experimental): Standard rehabilitation + animal-assisted therapy sessions with a trained dog and/or rabbits

Group 2 (control): Standard rehabilitation alone

Both groups attend 2 one-hour rehabilitation sessions per week for 4 weeks.

Participants will:

Complete movement and daily-life ability tests at the start and end of the study

Attend 8 rehabilitation sessions (over 4 weeks)

Participants in the animal therapy group will interact with a trained dog and/or rabbits during sessions, guided by a certified nurse-animal therapist, a psychomotor therapist, and a nursing assistant

Be assessed at the end of the 4-week program (Week 6) to measure any changes in motor abilities, independence, quality of life, and fall risk

Status and Timeline

Status: Not yet recruiting
Last Update Posted: Jul 28, 2026Actual
Start Date: Sep 2026Estimated
Primary Completion Date: Dec 2027Estimated
Completion Date

Participation Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study: Adult (18-64)Older Adult (65+)
Sexes Eligible for Study: All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No
Eligibility Criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

Hospitalized in the geriatric medical and rehabilitation ward (SMR) of Institut Médical de Sologne (IMDS)

Diagnosed dementia or confirmed cognitive decline, shown by a score between 15 and 24 on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE - a short standardized test of memory and thinking)

Has active motor rehabilitation goals (identified need to improve movement abilities during hospitalization)

Participant and/or their legal guardian, trusted person (personne de confiance), curator, or family member has provided written consent to participate in the study

Affiliated to a French social security scheme

Exclusion Criteria:

Known allergy to the animals used in the animal-assisted therapy sessions (dog, rabbits)

Fear of animals

History of aggressive behavior toward animals

Concomitant psychiatric disorders

Needs only a stimulation and/or skills maintenance approach (no active motor rehabilitation goals)

Currently enrolled in another interventional research study

(Note: A participant who was previously enrolled in another interventional study may join RÉMÉDI-A once their participation in the prior study has ended, without a washout period, provided all eligibility criteria are met.)

Study Plan

Study Type: Interventional
Phase: Not Applicable
Enrollment: 32Estimated
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)

Contacts and Locations

Central Contacts: Eva MRS BRIANDContact
eva.briand@lna-sante.com(0)240160161 ext +33

Similar Studies

Participant Group/Arms

Group Experimental : Standard Rehabilitation Combined with Animal-Assisted TherapyExperimental

Standard rehabilitation program (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, adapted physical activity) plus structured animal-assisted therapy (AAT) sessions integrating psychomotor rehabilitation. Sessions led by a certified nurse-animal therapist, a psychomotor therapist, and a nursing assistant. Frequency: 2 sessions × 1 hour/week for 4 weeks (8 sessions total, max 2 participants/session). Animals: 1 dog (golden retriever/malinois cross) and/or 2-4 rabbits. Sessions address global motor function, balance, fine motor skills, body schema, and sensory stimulation.

Behavioral: Animal-Assisted Therapy

Group Control : Standard RehabilitationActive Comparator

Standard rehabilitation program as delivered at Institut Médical de Sologne (IMDS), including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, adapted physical activity, and group psychomotor rehabilitation. Psychomotor therapy: 2 group sessions × 1 hour/week for 4 weeks (8 sessions total). Sessions cover fine and manual motor skills, static and dynamic coordination, posture, muscle tone, and praxis. This represents the recognized standard of care for patients with dementia in a French medical and rehabilitation care unit.

Behavioral: Standard psychomotor rehabilitation