scholarly journals Treating Agitation in Patients with Dementia with a Therapy Dog in a Milieu Therapy Setting on a Geropsychiatric Ward

Author(s):  
Jana Krüger ◽  
Reyhan Izgi ◽  
Rainer Hellweg ◽  
Andreas Ströhle ◽  
Maria C. Jockers-Scherübl

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Animal-assisted intervention has become a common therapeutic practice used for patients with dementia in home-dwelling and institutions. The most established procedure is a visiting service by specially trained dogs and their owners to improve social interactions and reduce symptoms of agitation. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> The study aims to investigate the effects of a therapy dog on agitation of inpatients with dementia in a gerontopsychiatric ward. <b><i>Materials and Methods:</i></b> The severity of agitation was assessed by a rater blinded for the presence of the dog via the Overt Agitation Severity Scale (OASS). The scale was conducted on 1 day with the dog and his handler present (resident doctor on the ward) and on another day with only the handler present. Each patient was his/her own control. Heart rate variability (HRV) and serum level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) of the patients were measured on both days. 26 patients with the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) score &#x3c;21 and the diagnosis of dementia were included in the study. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A significant reduction of agitation in the OASS could be shown when the dog was present (<i>p</i> = 0.006). The data neither demonstrated a difference in the HRV for the parameters mean heart rate (<i>p</i> = 0.65), root mean square of successive differences (<i>p</i> = 0.63), and high frequencies (<i>p</i> = 0.27) nor in serum BDNF concentrations (<i>p</i> = 0.42). <b><i>Discussion:</i></b> Therapy dogs can be implemented as a therapeutic tool in a gerontopsychiatric ward to reduce symptoms of agitation in patients with dementia. The study was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00024093).

1999 ◽  
Vol 276 (2) ◽  
pp. R500-R504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping Li ◽  
Steven H. Sur ◽  
Ralph E. Mistlberger ◽  
Mariana Morris

The circadian pattern of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) was measured in C57BL mice with carotid arterial catheters. Cardiovascular parameters were recorded continuously with a computerized monitoring system at a sampling rate of 100 Hz. The tethered animals were healthy, showing stabilized drinking and eating patterns within 2 days of surgery and little loss of body weight. Analysis of the 24-h pattern of MAP and HR was conducted using data from 3–6 consecutive days of recording. A daily rhythm of MAP was evident in all mice, with group mean dark and light values of 101.4 ± 7.3 and 93.1 ± 2.9 mmHg, respectively. The group mean waveform was bimodal, with peak values evident early and late in the dark period, and a trough during the middle of the light period. The phase of maximum and minimum values showed low within-group variance. Mean heart rate was greater at night than during the day (561.9 ± 22.7 vs. 530.3 ± 22.3 beats/min). Peak values generally occurred at dark onset, and minimum values during the middle of both the dark and the light periods. We conclude that it is possible to perform measurements of circadian cardiovascular parameters in the mouse, providing new avenues for the investigation of genetic models.


1998 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 383-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Khalid ◽  
W. Haresign ◽  
D. G. Bradley

AbstractThis study consisted of two experiments. In experiment 1, stress responses of sheep which were restrained either in a laparoscopy cradle or a roll-over cradle were compared. The results of this experiment indicated that restraint in roll-over cradle is less (P < 0·05) stressful than that in a laparoscopy cradle when assessed in terms of the elevation and duration of both the mean heart rate and plasma cortisol responses. Experiment 2 compared the stress responses of sheep subjected to restraint in a laparoscopy cradle, restraint in a laparoscopy cradle with intrauterine artificial insemination (AI) by laparoscopy, minimal restraint with cervical AI or restraint in a roll-over cradle plus foot-trimming. All treatments resulted in significant elevations in both heart rate and plasma cortisol concentrations (F < 0·001). The peak heart rate was significantly (P < 0·05) higher in ewes subjected to cervical AI than in those subjected to intrauterine insemination, with other treatments intermediate. The peak cortisol response did not differ among different treatments. The duration over which both the mean heart rate and -plasma cortisol concentrations remained significantly elevated above pre-treatment concentrations did not differ among treatment groups. The results of this study suggest that while restraint using a laparoscopy cradle is more stressful than that using a rollover cradle, the stress inflicted by intrauterine insemination by laparoscopy itself is no greater than that due to restraint using the laparoscopy cradle alone, cervical AI or the management practice offoot-trimming using a rollover cradle.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 240-243
Author(s):  
Myung K. Park ◽  
Da-Hae Lee

Indirect BP measurement was obtained in the right upper arm in 219 healthy newborn infants with the Dinamap monitor and was compared with values obtained from the calf to establish normative BP values and to help establish a diagnosis of hypertension and coarctation of the aorta in the newborn. There were 174 Mexican-Americans (79.5%), 33 whites (15.0%), and 12 blacks (5.5%). The width of the BP cuff was selected to be 0.4 to 0.5 times the circumference of the extremities. Three supine position readings of BPs and heart rate were obtained from each site and were averaged for statistical analyses. Mean arm BP values (±SD) of the neonate less than 36 hours of age were 62.6±6.9/38.9± 5.7 mm Hg (48.0±6.2 mm Hg). Neonates older than 36 hours had slightly but significantly (P&lt;.05) greater values (4 to 6 mm Hg) than did infants younger than 36 hours of age. Active neonates had values 6 to 10 mm Hg greater than quiet neonates (P&lt;.05). BP values in the calf obtained with the same-sized cuff were almost identical with those obtained from the arm. Differences in consecutively obtained arm and calf BPs (arm values minus calf values) were 1.1±7.7 mm Hg systolic, -0.01 ± 6.2 mm Hg diastolic, and 0.9 ±6.9 mm Hg mean pressures. Mean heart rate (±SD) of neonates less than 36 hours of age was 129.4± 13.2 beats per minute and that of neonates older than 36 hours of age was 139.4± 14.1 beats per minute. These results show the following: (1) arm BPs and calf BPs using the same-sized cuff are almost identical with mean values of approximately 65/ 41 mm Hg (50 mm Hg) in neonates one to three days of age, (2) arm BP of 75/49 mm Hg (59 mm Hg) or greater is in the hypertensive range, and (3) calf BPs that are less than arm BPs by mean + 1 SD (6 to 9 mm Hg) necessitate a thorough investigation for coarctation of the aorta.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1133-1138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith C. Peddie ◽  
Claire Cameron ◽  
Nancy Rehrer ◽  
Tracy Perry

Background:Interrupting sedentary time induces improvements in glucose metabolism; however, it is unclear how much activity is required to reduce the negative effects of prolonged sitting.Methods:Sixty-six participants sat continuously for 9 hours except for required bathroom breaks. Participants were fed meal replacement beverages at 60, 240 and 420 min. Blood samples were obtained hourly for 9 hours, with additional samples collected 30 and 45 min after each feeding. Responses were calculated as incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for plasma glucose, insulin and triglyceride. Participants wore a triaxial accelerometer and a heart rate monitor. Energy expenditure was estimated using indirect calorimetry.Results:After controlling for age, sex and BMI, every 100 count increase in accelerometer derived total movement was associated with a 0.06 mmol·L-1·9 hours decrease in glucose iAUC (95% CI 0.004–0.1; P = .035), but not associated with changes in insulin or triglyceride iAUC. Every 1 bpm increase in mean heart rate was associated with a 0.76 mmol·L-1·9 hours increase in triglyceride iAUC (95% CI 0.13–1.38).Conclusion:Accelerometer measured movement during periods of prolonged sitting can result in minor improvements in postprandial glucose metabolism, but not lipid metabolism.


2018 ◽  
pp. 8-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Clark ◽  
Jessica Smidt ◽  
Brent Bauer

Interaction with a therapy dog can decrease blood pressure, heart rate, and improve heart rate variability; due to these responses, it suggests that human-animal interaction can alleviate the stress response. This study aims to observe if the effects of therapy dog visits could alleviate nursing burnout and increase work satisfaction in an outpatient setting. In addition, this study will observe at what visit frequency of therapy dog visits nurses benefited from most. This study is a two-part study, which also observed the salivary cortisol concentrations of the therapy dogs post therapy visit interaction. The study design was a randomized block design with five treatments over the course of four weeks: TRT A, two therapy dog visits a week; TRT B, one visit a week; TRT C, two visits; TRT D, one visit; and TRT E, no visits. Four out-patient nursing units were selected and asked to complete a demographic survey, the Pet Attitude Scale-Modified, and Lexington Attachment to Pet Scale. Pre- and post-treatments, participants completed the Human Services Survey, Nursing Workplace Satisfaction Questionnaire, Nursing Work Index (Revised), and a visual analog scale. TRT A was able to significantly increase the feeling of happiness. In addition TRT B, a therapy dog visit once a week, was able to significantly reduce self-reported responses of depression and improve emotional wellbeing. Consequently, TRT E, control/no therapy dog visits, had the least amount of improvement in the nursing units’ visual analog scale. This study supports the hypothesis that therapy dog visits can help alleviate stress, frustration, feeling drained, and the overwhelming sensation that can come from working in the nursing field.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 26-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Gimunová ◽  
Hana Válková ◽  
Tomáš Kalina

Heart rate values are considered to be a significant indicator of individual fitness, intensity of exerciseand sympathetic activation. There are few studies in Czech literature focused on the heart rate in athleteswith intellectual disabilities. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of heart rateduring fifteen table tennis matches within the 23rd national tournament of the Czech Special OlympicsMovement. Ten participants (6 males, 4 females) who for at least 3 years train regularly and participatein table tennis competitions under the Special Olympics rules, were observed. Their heart rate wasmeasured using a sports tester Forerunner® 15, Garmin Ltd, which was fastened on the participant’schest during their game day. Heart rate values during the matches were statistically processed alongwith the matches’ duration and the resulting match scores. Correlation coefficients obtained from scatterplots show a statistically significant relationship of mean heart rate values during the match withthe resulting score, probably influenced by emotion and psychological stress associated with the matchloss. The effect of match duration on the heart rate was not statistically significant during observedmatches. Subsequent analysis of the body composition of the athletes showed that sixty percent ofthem were in the category of overweight or obesity. These results highlight the need to promote healthylifestyle and physical activity in the population with intellectual disabilities.


SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A182-A183
Author(s):  
Ryutaro Shirahama ◽  
Rie Ishimaru ◽  
Jun Takagiwa ◽  
Yasue Mitsukura

Abstract Introduction Recent studies have indicated that obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with hypertension. OSA is a common cause of sympathetic nervous activity. Increase of sympathetic nervous activity causes hypertension. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the most useful treatment for OSAS. Good CPAP adherence treatment improve the risk of hypertension. This study examined the effect of intervention of medical staff on the adherence of CPAP, heart rate and sleep stages in patients with OSA. Methods All patients diagnosed with OSA and undergoing subsequent CPAP were clinically followed for 12 months to examine CPAP adherence, as well as longitudinal changes in blood pressure, average heartrate of 24 hours and sleep stages. They were divided into 2 groups, Group A: patients who had individual consulted in person by sleep physician and technicians before start using CPAP and Group B: patents who did not have individual consulted. Patients in both groups were consulted by sleep physician and technicians after start CPAP with utilizing tele-monitoring. If the adherence were poor, the patients were recommended to stop CPAP. We provided 3D accelerometer and an optical pulse photoplethysmography to all the patients and analyzed the data of heart rate and sleep stages. Results A total of 30 OSA patients underwent CPAP, were enrolled in the study and assessed for changes in mean heart rate and body weight during the study period. We found a significant reduction in mean heart rate in both group A and B compared with baseline (p&lt;-0.05). The patients aged under 50 years old and whose AHI&lt;20 times/hour have higher ratio of dropout CPAP therapy. There was no significant difference between Group A and Group B on the persistency rate of CPAP therapy. Also, no significant association was found between group A and B on the adherence of CPAP. Conclusion We showed the importance of the effect of intervention of medical staff on the adherence of CPAP and heart rate in patients with OSA the consultation after starting CPAP for a while with utilizing tele-monitoring data would be more effective compared with that in person before start using CPAP. Support (if any):


1969 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-152E ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred L. Royer

Four dogs were given discriminative conditioning using 3 CSs. One CS (CS + C) was always reinforced with shock, another (CS−) was never reinforced while a third (CS + U) was reinforced 75% of the trials with reinforcement occurring either immediately, 2 or 4 sec. after the termination of CS. Heart-rate change was greater for CS + C than for CS + U or CS there was no significant difference between the latter. The termination of the CS + U appeared to be informative; mean heart rate during the post-CS period on unreinforced trials of CS + U was not significantly different from that during CS + C. Flexion latencies were longer to CS + U. The cardiac UR was less for CS + U than for CS + C, suggesting that temporal uncertainty inhibits the UR.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document