Summary of - Canine-assisted Therapy in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Scoping Review

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Introduction

Animal-Assisted Therapy has been advocated to benefit individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. Among all the various kinds of animals used in the therapy, dogs are the most utilized because of their temperament and accessibility.

Methods

This systematic scoping review was carried out to present the existing literature employing canine-assisted therapy in the diverse population of neurodevelopmental disorders. The study used the Arksey and O'Malley framework for scoping reviews. Several databases including the gray literature were searched for publications on animal-assisted therapy.

Results

The search yielded 4898 articles of which 41 articles were eligible for inclusion into the review.

Conclusions

Scrutiny of the articles suggested a dearth of studies in the various sub-diagnostic categories for neurodevelopmental disorders along with a lack of focus on adult populations with this diagnosis. In addition, the critical need for standardization of therapy guidelines and promotion of animal welfare is reaffirmed.

Publication date

2022

Citation

Narvekar HN, Narvekar HN. Canine-assisted therapy in neurodevelopmental disorders: A scoping review. European Journal of Integrative Medicine. 2022 Feb 1;50:102112.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2022.102112

Publication Date

2022

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