ANIMAL-ASSISTED THERAPY – A NEW TREND IN THE TREATMENT OF CHILDREN AND ADDULTS

Animal-assisted therapy is a familiar method of treatment in the rehabilitation of many illnesses and conditions, but is still not applied sufficiently in our milieu. This paper gives an overview of the available literature and some of the research which demonstrates that the interaction between the patient, animal and therapist provides a context which improves communication, elevates self-confidence, reduces the symptoms of diseases, and improves the quality of life. The dog, cat, horse, birds and toy animals are most often used in therapy. Short-term contacts with animals are used, as well as long term keeping of animals, which are looked after by patients following a particular methodology. The therapy is used in the treatment of psychiatric patients afflicted with depression, schizophrenia, phobias and addiction problems. Loneliness is easier to endure in the company of animals. It is also applied in cardiovascular diseases, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, child cerebral paralysis, rheumatoid arthritis, AIDS, and other diseases. Research shows a more rapid reduction of symptoms of many diseases when animals are included in the therapeutic process

Current Rehabilitation Methods for Cerebral Palsy

In rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy (CP), varying approaches and techniques are used, ranging from very conservative and conventional techniques, such as muscle strengthening, manual stretching, and massage, to more complex motor learning-based theories, such as neurodevelopmental treatment, conductive education, and several others. The motor disorders seen in CP are frequently accompanied by disturbances of sensation, cognition, communication, perception, and/or behavior disorders; thus, therapy approaches are arranged to meet the individual child’s needs. The approaches can be divided into two groups as with equipment and without equipment. Examples for without equipment rehabilitation approaches are neurodevelopmental treatment, conductive education constraint-induced movement therapy, and task-oriented therapy, whereas robotic therapy, virtual reality, and horse-back riding therapy are the examples of rehabilitation approaches with equipment. CP is a prevalent, disabling condition. Application of evidence-based methods ensures maximum gains in children. The concept that intense, task-specific exercises capitalize on the potential plasticity of the CNS and thus improve motor recovery has led to the development of several successful interventions for children with CP. Also approaches that improve the patient’s motivation and target the activities of daily living and participation are the most effective approaches for functional recovery of the children with CP

Toward a Deeper Understanding of the Mechanisms of Animal-Assisted Interventions: How Important is the Animal?

There is an ever-increasing interest in animal-assisted interventions, and while its effects seem promising, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. The literature on animal-assisted interventions generally assumes that the animal itself is responsible for the effects of the interventions. However, evidence from placebo research suggests that a significant portion of treatment effects can be explained by contextual factors that are not specific to a treatment itself. Regarding animal-assisted interventions, this would suggest that the effects are not due to the animal but to contextual factors. In order to better understand the role of the animal and contextual factors in animal-assisted interventions, this thesis pursued two aims. First, it investigated to what extent the effects of animal-assisted interventions on pain can be attributed to the presence of an animal or to how the animal is embedded in the treatment rationale. Second, it identified the hypotheses previous studies have pursued regarding the underlying mechanisms of animal-assisted interventions and what factors have been considered as specific and nonspecific. Two different approaches were applied to address these two aims. For the first aim, we conducted two randomized controlled trials with healthy participants in a heat-pain placebo paradigm (Study I and Study II). For the second aim, a systematic review was conducted to assess factor hypotheses that researchers have presented in previous studies on animal-assisted interventions and to identify what specific and nonspecific factors have been considered in animal- assisted interventions (Study III). In the two experimental heat-pain studies, we did not find any analgesic effects in healthy participants compared to the control group when the dog was not part of the treatment rationale (Study I). Instead, participants experienced heat-pain to be more intense at the limit of their tolerance in the presence of the dog compared to the control group (i.e., self-reported pain intensity at the limit of pain tolerance, p = 0.041). When the dog was part of the treatment rationale (Study II), it did have a positive effect on pain perception in healthy participants compared to the control group (i.e., self-reported ratings of pain unpleasantness at the limit of pain tolerance, p = 0.010). The systematic review (Study III) found that a majority of studies did not define specific hypotheses regarding potential mechanisms of animal-assisted interventions. Further, most studies controlled for the animal or the interaction with the animal as specific factors. Based on the findings of this thesis, it is urgent to reconsider the explanatory model for the effectiveness of animal-assisted interventions. More precisely, instead of only focusing on the animal in animal-assisted interventions, researchers and practitioners should start to include contextual factors in their explanatory models. A better understanding of the relevant factors in animal-assisted interventions might also reveal how important the animal is and whether these effects can be facilitated through other factors

Design of Neural Predictor for Performance Analysis of Mountain Bicycles

In recent years, bicycle races, along with the crest of the high technology continues to increase. Because of this increased races, performance of bicycles, in both biological and mechanical terms, is extraordinarily important and efficient. In terms of the ratio of cargo weight a bicycle can carry to total weight, it is also a most efficient means of cargo transportation. In spite of advanced technology, there are still some problems on bicycles during working conditions and road roughness such as on the mountain from tire and mechanical parts. In this investigation, a extraordinary designed with fiber-carbon body and light bicycle is tested on mountain road conditionswith prescribed trajectory on the mountain for different elevation, speed, hearth rate, bike cadence and average temperature. The real time measured parameters are predicted with proposed two types of neural networks for approaching real time neural network predictors. The results of the proposed neural network have shown that neural predictor has superior performance to adopt the real time bicycle performance

Cerebral Palsy

Nowadays, cerebral palsy (CP) rehabilitation, along with medical and surgical interventions in children with CP, leads to better motor and postural control and can ensure ambulation and functional independence. In achieving these improvements, many modern practices may be used, such as comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment, clinical decision making, multilevel surgery, botulinum toxin applications, robotic ambulation applications, treadmill, and other walking aids to increase the quality and endurance of walking. Trainings are based on neurodevelopmental therapy, muscle training and strength applications, adaptive equipment and orthotics, communication, technological solves, and many others beyond the scope of this book. In the years of clinical and academic experiences, children with cerebral palsy have shown us that the world needs a book to give clinical knowledge to health professionals regarding these important issue. This book is an attempt to fulfill and to give “current steps” about CP. The book is intended for use by physicians, therapists, and allied health professionals who treat/rehabilitate children with CP. We focus on the recent concepts in the treatment of body and structure problems and describe the associated disability, providing suggestions for further reading. All authors presented the most frequently used and accepted treatment methods with scientifically proven efficacy and included references at the end of each chapter

September 30, 1994, Ohio University Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes

Meeting minutes document the activities of Ohio University\u27s Board of Trustees

Scientific advancement of two nature-based interventions for people with dementia, The: adaptive riding and adaptive gardening

2021 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.People living with dementia are at risk for decreased quality of life (QoL). QoL may be supported through adaptive riding and horsemanship activities and adaptive gardening, two nature-based interventions; yet, they require further scientific advancement. This dissertation sought to scientifically advance adaptive riding and adaptive gardening for people with dementia. Study one, a mixed methods descriptive case study, addressed the development of an adaptive riding intervention and resulted in a logic model linking its purpose, assumptions, components, occupational opportunities, and immediate outcomes of QoL for participants with dementia. Study two, a quantitative case study compared adaptive riding and adaptive gardening, targeted development and piloting, and revealed that both supported participants' emotional well-being and participation, two dimensions of QoL, with significantly longer durations of complex participation observed during adaptive riding. Study one provided the first published logic model for a nature-based intervention involving animals, whereas study two served as the first nature comparison for this population. Both interventions were scientifically advanced from development to piloting and described in-depth to inform future replication. Next, care partners' perceptions should be explored. The novel observational approach applied in both studies may be helpful to describe other nature-based interventions, and may also contribute to occupational science with a method for situating occupations in the here and now