Physiological Responses, Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm, Stress, Emotional
Conditions
Keywords
Human-animal contact, Non-invasive measure
Brief summary
The study aims to investigate the effects of a service dog on military veterans with post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). The investigators will use non-invasive measures of the physiological responses, data obtained via dairy keeping, accelerometer data estimating activity and sleep patterns, and baseline information including psychological measures validated for this specific population.
Detailed description
The investigators will measure and compare the immediate effect of the presence of the dog, on days with low stress and high stress, using non-invasive measures of the physiological response, diary notes, and data on activity and sleep pattern The latter will also be collected for the service dogs. The investigators will apply a cross-sectional design. The participants will be divided into two groups based on whether they own a certified service dog (treatment group) or are on a waitlist for a service dog (control group). The experimental period will consist of a 14-day period. In the preceding week the participants receive a visit, where they will be given instructions to fill in a diary, how to collect and store saliva samples, and use equipment for data collection. In the diary they record their daily activities and any situation perceived to be stressful during the experimental period. In the experimental period, the participants will wear an accelerometer. Every second day, the particpants will wear equipment measuring their heart rate.
Interventions
OTHERWith service dog
No intervention
Sponsors
University of Aarhus
Study design
Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Have been deployed in a war zone * Fulfil criteria for PTSD * Fulfil criteria for receiving a certified service dog * If having a service dog, they must have owned the dog for more than 6 months, and the dog must be at leat 2 years of age
Exclusion criteria
* Use of alcohol or drugs to an extent that it affects the ability to attend to ordinary daily activities
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Daily activity pattern | In the experimental period, which is 14 days | Daily activity pattern measured with a wrist-worn accelerometer |
| Sleep pattern | In the experimental period, which is 14 days | Sleep pattern measured with a wrist-worn accelerometer |
| Salivary, Cortisol | Day 1 of the experimental period at 11 a.m. | Saliva is obtained from the testperson with a cotton swab which is chewed for one minute |
| Blood pressure | Day 1 of the experimental period at 11 a.m. | Blood pressure is measured manually with a blood pressure monitor with a blood pressure cuff |
| Heart rate | Day 2 of the experimental period | The test person wears either self-adhesive electrodes or a belt around their chest and the heart rate is measured non-invasively |
| Heart rate variability | Day 2 of the experimental period | Heart rate variability is calculated from heart rate data |
| Dairy notes regarding stressful events | Day 1 of the experimental period | The participant notes whether any situations, perceived to be stressful has happened, during each of the 14 days in the experimental peiod.during the experimental period |
Countries
Denmark
Outcome results
None listed