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Neurological and Physiological Effects of Animal-assisted Therapy for Patients in a Minimally Conscious State | Clinical Trials | Clareo Health

RECRUITINGNA

Neurological and Physiological Effects of Animal-assisted Therapy for Patients in a Minimally Conscious State

Neurological and Physiological Effects of Animal-assisted Therapy for Patients in a Minimally Conscious State: a Randomized, Controlled Cross-over Study

NCT06931665•University of Basel

View on ClinicalTrials.gov

Summary

This study aims to explore the impact of Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) on brain signal complexity in patients with minimally conscious state (MCS) by analyzing electroencephalogram (EEG) entropy. MCS patients typically exhibit reduced brain entropy compared to healthy individuals, indicating lower brain complexity. The study will assess whether AAT can enhance this complexity, which is crucial for understanding consciousness levels. Entropy, a measure of randomness in brain activity, will be used to evaluate AAT's effectiveness. In addition, electrocardiography (ECG), electrodermal activity (EDA) and behavioral measurements will also be collected.

Eligibility

Age

18 - No limit years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion Criteria

•Inpatients in one of the study sites
•Acquired brain injury resulting from either traumatic or non-traumatic events
•Diagnosis of MCS defined by CRS-R according to the Aspen criteria (Giacino, 2005)
•Informed consent as documented by signature by the patient's legal representative
•Physiologically stable
•Aged 18 or over

Exclusion Criteria

•Phobia or allergies to any of the involved animals
•Medical contraindications: acute or chronic disease (e.g. chronic pain, hypertension, heart disease, renal disease, liver disease, diabetes)
•Radical changes in medication (decision made with responsible physician)

Locations (2)

REHAB Basel

Basel, Switzerland

Service de Neurorééducation, Hopitaux Universitaires Genevois

Geneva, Switzerland

Key Dates

Start Date

July 8, 2025

Primary Completion Date

April 1, 2027

Completion Date

April 1, 2027

Last Updated

December 18, 2025

Enrollment

ESTIMATED participants

Conditions

Minimally Conscious State

Interventions

Animal Assisted Occupational Therapy

PROCEDURE

Contacts

Fabio Carbone, MSc

CONTACT

+41612076738 fabio.carbone@unibas.ch

Karin Hediger, Prof

CONTACT

karin.hediger@unilu.ch

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COMPLETED

Data Source & Attribution

This clinical trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

ClinicalTrials.gov last update: December 18, 2025Data synced to Clareo: March 29, 2026

Modifications: This data has been reformatted for display purposes. Eligibility criteria have been parsed into inclusion/exclusion sections. Location data has been geocoded to enable distance-based search. For the authoritative and most current information, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov.

Neither the United States Government nor Clareo Health make any warranties regarding the data. Check ClinicalTrials.gov frequently for updates.

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Neurological and Physiological Effects of Animal-assisted Therapy for Patients in a Minimally Conscious State

Inclusion Criteria

Exclusion Criteria

Closed-loop tDCS in Patients in Minimally Conscious State

Cerebellar iTBS in Patients With Disorders of Consciousness

Simultaneously PET/MRI in Prolonged DOC Patients

Use of Analgesic Treatment to Reduce Signs of Pain in Patients With Disorders of Consciousness.

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Spinal Cord Stimulation in Patients With Disorders of Consciousness