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Effectiveness of Anma massage therapy for body, mood, and social skills in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: A randomized crossover, two-center pilot study

Effectiveness of Anma massage therapy for body, mood, and social skills in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: A randomized crossover, two-center pilot study - Pilot study of Anma massage therapy for adolescents with ASD

Status
Active, not recruiting
Phases
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Source
JPRN
Registry ID
JPRN-UMIN000036272
Enrollment
20
Registered
2019-03-22
Start date
2019-03-20
Completion date
Unknown
Last updated
2026-06-29

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Interventions

A 20-min whole-body Japanese Anma massage session (excluding face, breasts, and abdomen) was administered once a week for 2 months (8 sessions total). Anma massage therapy is a form of Japanese massag
s body. Additionally, the therapist speaks in a soft voice and informs the massage recipient to recognize what part of the body is touched/pressed/kneaded and how strongly. Control: No Anma massage i

Sponsors

Faculty of Health Sciences, Tsukuba University of Technology
Lead Sponsor

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Healthy adolescents diagnosed as having ASD by a medical doctor

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: (1) Undergoing treatment or follow-up by a medical doctor for a serious physical or mental illness (2) Currently receiving Anma massage therapy by professional

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
Concentration of oxytocin in saliva

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
(1) Daily physical complaints, measured using a visual analogue scale (2) Sensory disorders, measured using the Sensory Profile, 2015 (3) Developmental coordination disorders, measured by the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire, 2007 (4) Mood state, measured by the Profile of Mood States, 2nd Edition, 2017 (5) Social skills, measured by the Abnormal Behavior Checklist, 2006

Countries

Japan

Contacts

Public ContactNozomi DONOYAMA

Tsukuba University of Technology Faculty of Health Sciences

donoyama@k.tsukuba-tech.ac.jp81+29-858-9631

Outcome results

None listed

Source: JPRN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Jul 3, 2026