Measuring Effects of Contact to Dogs

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Behavioural Responses to Contact With Dogs; Physiological Responses to Contact With Dogs; Psychological Responses to Contact With Dogs
• Interventions: Other: Different intensities of contact to dogs

• Registration Number: NCT04696419
• Lead Sponsor: University of Aarhus

Brief Summary

The study aims to identify and quantify objective non-invasive measures of the immediate effect of contact with dogs in a standardized experimental setup. Employing a within-subject design, the study includes healthy participants that are exposed to three different levels of contact to a dog compared with a no-dog control condition while obtaining measures of both physiological, behavioral, and psychological effects.

Detailed Description

Using a within-subjects design, we will compare four standardised and controlled test situations with different levels of dog contact:

1) visual (V), 2) tactile and visual (TV), 3) tactile, visual, interaction (TVI), and 4)control (C).

The participants will be subjected to all four test situations on the same day, and will be randomly allocated to test order.

On the test day, we collect background information and baseline measures for the participants (baseline period, duration: 50 minutes), whereafter they rest for 30 minutes (pre-intervention rest period). After this the participants are subjected to the four test situations (10 minutes each) that are followed by rest intervals (30 minutes each).

The participants' interaction with the dog during the 10-minute test situations are standardised according to the specific contact treatment. Most physiological and all behavioural measures are recorded continuously throughout each test in order for us to link the "dosage" of dog (the different levels of contact) with the psychological responses and some physiological measures obtained before an after each test situation.

Below is shown the exact time schedule of the test day, that we refer to when describing the outcome measures. The baseline period (30 minutes) is not included in the total test period (total duration= 190 minutes), that consist of a pre-intervention and intervention period.

* Baseline period (50 minutes - not part of total test period)

* Pre-intervention period (start, t=0 minutes; end t= 30 minutes)

* Test situation 1 (start, t=30 minutes; end, t=40 minutes)

* Rest period 1 (start, t=40 minutes, end, t= 70 minutes)

* Test situation 2 (start, t=70 minutes; end, t=80 minutes)

* Rest period 2 (start, t=80 minutes, end, t= 110 minutes)

* Test situation 3 (start, t=110 minutes; end, t=120 minutes)

* Rest period 3 (start, t=120 minutes, end, t= 150 minutes)

* Test situation 4 (start, t=150 minutes; end, t=160 minutes)

* Rest period 4 (start, t=160 minutes, end, t= 190 minutes)

Basic Information
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Recruitment & Eligibility
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Study & Design
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Trial Locations

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2020-10
• Study Start: 2020-10-01
• Study First Submitted: 2020-10-09
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-01-05
• Study First Posted: 2021-01-06
• Primary Completion: 2021-10-01
• Study Completion: 2021-10-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2021-11-09
• Last Update Posted: 2021-11-10

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 46

Inclusion Criteria

• Normal cognitive functioning and physical movement
• Ability to speak and read Danish

Read More

Exclusion Criteria

• Known medical, psychiatric or neurological disease
• Use of psychotropic medications
• Frequent use of pain medication
• Use of illegal psychotropic drugs
• Known allergies to dogs

Read More

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
ANIMAL CONTACT 1	Different intensities of contact to dogs	Only one arm - within-subject design

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Physiological measure, heart rate variablility	Measured continuously throughout the total test period of 190 minutes (through the pre-intervention period, the four test situations and all resting periods)	Heart rate variability is calculated from heart rate data
Salivary oxytocin	After the last resting period: Measured at the end of the last resting period, following the last of the four test situations; t= 190 minutes	Saliva is obtained from the testperson with a cotton swab which is chewed for one minute
Visual analogue scales measuring expected psychological and physiological effects of the test day including, including all four test situations	Baseline: Measured at onset of the 30 minute pre-intervention period preceeding the first of the four test situations (t=0 minutes)	Test persons fill in a visual analoque scale. Minimum value -100 (very negative effect) and maximum value 100 (very positive effect), and 0 being neutral.
The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)	Test periods: Measured immediately following the fourth test situation: t= 160 minutes	State anxiety is measured with the STAI-scale (minimum score= 20, maximum score= 80, and a lower score indicates a high anxiety level)
Physiological measure, heart rate	Measured continuously throughout the total test period of 190 minutes (through the pre-intervention period, the four test situations and all resting periods)	The test person wears self-adhesive electrodes and the heart rate is measured non-invasively,
Visual analogue scales measuring perceived psychological and physiological effects of of the test day including, including all four test situations	After last resting period: Measured at the end of the last resting period, following the last of the four test situations, t=190 minutes	Test persons fill in a visual analoque scale. Minimum value -100 (very negative effect) and maximum value 100 (very positive effect), and 0 being neutral.
The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)	Test periods: Measured immediately following the fourth test situation: t=160 minutes	Positive and negative affect is measured with the PANAS scale, where the person scores whether or not they experience each of 20 emotions on a 5-step scale from "very little /not at all" to "extremely much". The emotions differ in valens.
Physiological measure, galvanic skin response	Measured continuously throughout the total test period of 190 minutes (through the pre-intervention period, the four test situations and all resting periods)	The test person is fitted with electrodes on two fingers and galvanic skin response is measured non-invasively,
Visual analogue scales measuring perceived psychological and physiological effects of each of the four test situations	Test periods: Measured immediately following the fourth test situation: t= 160 minutes	Test persons fill in a visual analoque scale. Minimum value -100 (very negative effect) and maximum value 100 (very positive effect), and 0 being neutral.
Visual analogue scales measuring expected psychological and physiological effects of each of the four test situations	Test periods: Measured immediately preceeding the fourth test situation: t=150 minutes	Test persons fill in a visual analoque scale. Minimum value -100 (very negative effect) and maximum value 100 (very positive effect), and 0 being neutral.
Physiological measure, blood pressure	After the last resting period: Measured at the end of the last resting period, following the last of the four test situations: t= 190 minutes	Blood pressure is measured manually with a blood pressure monitor with a blood pressure cuff
Salivary cortisol	After the last resting period: Measured at the end of the last resting period, following the last of the four test situations; t= 190 minutes	Saliva is obtained from the testperson with a cotton swab which is chewed for one minute

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Quantitative behavioural measures - frequencies of behavioural elements	Measured continuously throughout the total test period of 190 minutes (through the pre-intervention period, the four test situations and all resting periods)	A video recording of the test persons behaviour is analysed for frequency of predefined behavioural elements Postures: sitting, standing walkning Touching the dog: being in physical contact with the dog with tha hand or another part of the body Looking at the dog: Having head turned towards the dog Talking to the dog: Directing talk directly at the dog, as opposed to the person present
Quantitative behavioural measures - duration of behavioural elements	Measured continuously throughout the total test period of 190 minutes (through the pre-intervention period, the four test situations and all resting periods)	A video recording of the test persons behaviour is analysed for the duration (seconds) of predefined behavioural elements Postures: sitting, standing walkning Touching the dog: being in physical contact with the dog with tha hand or another part of the body Looking at the dog: Having head turned towards the dog Talking to the dog: Directing talk directly at the dog, as opposed to the person present

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Aarhus University; 🇩🇰 Tjele, Denmark