Animal-assisted therapy for dementia

Lai, Nai Ming; Chang, Sharon Mei Wern; Ng, Siok Shen; Tan, Shir Ley; Chaiyakunapruk, Nathorn; Stanaway, Fiona

doi:10.1002/14651858.cd013243.pub2

Cited by 42 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 88 publications

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“…The findings of the meta‐analysis on depression were consistent with Lai et al (2019), who conducted a meta‐analysis of two studies targeting only older adults with dementia and found a slight decrease in depression. This might be because spending time with animals brought back or created pleasant memories and helped decrease negative emotions (Nordgren & Engstrom, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…Systematic reviews conducted so far have identified effects of AAT on patients with specific diseases such as cognitive impairment or posttraumatic stress disorder (Hu, Zhang, Leng, Li, & Chen, 2018; O'haire, Guérin, & Kirkham, 2015). For older adults, most of the systematic reviews targeted dementia or psychiatric disorders to identify the effects of AAT (Lai et al, 2019; Peluso et al, 2018). Interestingly, regardless of the disease, the effects of AAT were observed not in treating the disease itself but in reducing the health‐related problems that commonly occur in older adults, such as depressive symptoms, anxiety, and aggressive behaviors, or in enhancing cognitive function and physiological outcomes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Animal‐Assisted Therapy as an Intervention for Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis to Guide Evidence‐Based Practice

Chang

Lee

et al. 2020

Worldviews Ev Based Nurs

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Background Animal‐assisted therapy (AAT) can ameliorate diverse health problems in older adults. However, applications of AAT have been limited because of the lack of intervention guidelines for older adults. Aims This study aimed to explore applications of AAT to older adults, analyze its health effects, and provide evidence for future interventions. Methods A systematic review and meta‐analysis were conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses checklist. Data were analyzed based on both a narrative synthesis and a meta‐analysis specifically for depression. Results A total of 47 studies were selected for analysis. About 45% focused on older adults with diseases such as dementia, and 57.4% selected dog(s) as an intervention animal. About 34.0% delivered interventions once a week, and the behavioral outcome domain was the most frequently investigated. The meta‐analysis showed that the effect sizes of the AAT group were −1.310 (95% CI [−1.900, −.721]). Linking Evidence to Action This review provides evidence for AAT as an intervention in the physiological, psychosocial, cognitive, and behavioral domains of older adults. When planning interventions for older adults, nurses should consider intended health outcomes, appropriate therapeutic animals, and the consequent intervention contents.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Animal‐Assisted Therapy as an Intervention for Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis to Guide Evidence‐Based Practice

Chang

Lee

et al. 2020

Worldviews Ev Based Nurs

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“…Although evidence shows that pharmacological therapy can delay and somewhat control behavioral disorders in PWD, it cannot cure dementia [ 2 ]. Some popular non-pharmacological therapies are pet therapy [ 3 ], robot therapy [ 4 ], reminiscence therapy [ 5 ], aromatherapy [ 6 ], occupational therapy [ 7 ], massage and touch therapy [ 8 ], doll therapy [ 9 ], light therapy [ 10 ], and creative arts therapies (music, dance-movement, and drama) [ 11 ]. Music interventions are categorized as ‘music medicine’ when individuals listen to pre-recorded music that is offered by medical personnel [ 12 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of Music Intervention on Dementia: A Review Using Meta-Narrative Method and Agenda for Future Research

Soufineyestani

Khan

Sufineyestani

2021

Neurology International

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Background: Dementia, a significant cognitive impairment, is characterized by a decline in memory. It affects an individual’s mood and behavior, which can impair their quality of life and well-being. Studies show that the demand for applying music as a new therapy method for dementia has increased during the last decades. Objective: To review the studies conducted on the impacts of music on different symptoms of dementia and provide readers with a more detailed picture of the efficacy of music, and recognize gaps in the literature. Methods: Electronic searches were conducted in the Cochrane Library (1938), Embase (773), Medline and PubMed (700), PsycINFO (89), and Scopus (218) databases. The search was comprised of all the literature from 2010 to 2020. For the search, key terms including “Dementia” AND “music” OR “music intervention” OR “music therapy” and index terms “clinical trial” OR “randomized controlled trials” were used. Finally, after screening 891 citations, 30 studies were included. Results: In general, it was observed that in most cases, music could be used as one of the safe and cost-effective non-pharmacological approaches for dementia treatment. However, in some studies, no impact or short-term effect of music on some symptoms of dementia such as wandering, agitation, and cognition was detected. Conclusion: Observing no effect or even negative impact of music on people living with dementia could be due to a random selection of music, fewer individuals, and the lack of a standard protocol. High heterogeneity in outcomes did not allow for clear conclusions on the benefits of music in dementia. This demands a comprehensive non-pharmacological music treatment approach to be designed for each stage of dementia to be employed alongside pharmacological treatments. This study proposes 13 gaps in the research on the health impact of music on dementia that could be studied by future researchers.

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“…A Cochrane review even concluded there was insufficient evidence that animal-assisted therapy was successful in reducing depressive symptoms or other outcomes in people with dementia. 37 Why introduce animal therapy to a group of people in a nursing home if it is not beneficial? The balance between doing good and avoiding harm is not sufficient.…”

Section: Ethical Aspectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethical aspects in dementia care - The use of psychosocial interventions

Strøm

Engedal

2020

Nurs Ethics

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The use of psychosocial interventions for people with dementia is common and recommended because they focus on the underlying problem and well-being of the person. The promotion of well-being is a relevant dimension in person-centred care, where the aim is to confirm the person’s ‘personhood’. Most literature about ethics in dementia care instructs us on how and when to include people with dementia in our research. Little is written about the ethical aspects regarding the use of psychosocial interventions in daily care. In clinical practise, several challenges arise about the use of psychosocial interventions. Those include questions about the person’s ability to participate in decision-making and how we know what is best for them. Furthermore, we must consider what kinds of psychosocial interventions are best for everybody, or if intervention causes discomfort for the person. This article emphasizes the necessity to consider the ethical aspects of the implementation of psychosocial interventions while taking into consideration the persons individual needs. A particular ethical challenge arises when a person with dementia is unable to express themselves verbally. Therefore, it is essential that the staff know the history and preferences of each person with dementia. The ethical aspects of psychosocial interventions for people with dementia will be discussed using Beauchamp and Childress four ethical principles: respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice. The person-centred approach proposed by Kitwood’s and Brooker.

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Animal-assisted therapy for dementia

Cited by 42 publications

References 88 publications

Animal‐Assisted Therapy as an Intervention for Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis to Guide Evidence‐Based Practice

Animal‐Assisted Therapy as an Intervention for Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis to Guide Evidence‐Based Practice

Impacts of Music Intervention on Dementia: A Review Using Meta-Narrative Method and Agenda for Future Research

Ethical aspects in dementia care - The use of psychosocial interventions

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