NCT05200351

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to assess the (cost)effectivity of Equine assisted Therapy in adolescents with Autism Spectrum disorders.

Trial Health

57
Monitor

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Trial has exceeded expected completion date
Enrollment
35

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Feb 2022

Typical duration for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

3 active sites

Status
recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

December 17, 2021

Completed
1 month until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

January 20, 2022

Completed
25 days until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

February 14, 2022

Completed
2.8 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 1, 2024

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 1, 2024

Completed
Last Updated

November 4, 2024

Status Verified

November 1, 2024

Enrollment Period

2.8 years

First QC Date

December 17, 2021

Last Update Submit

November 1, 2024

Conditions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Change from baseline on the Emotion dysregulation Index (EDI) after start of the intervention

    The EDI-short form is a validated, change-sensitive, 13-item caregiver report measure of emotion regulation impairment for individuals who are at least 6 years of age. The scale used is Not at all=0, Mild=1, Moderate=2, Severe=3, or Very Severe=4. The EDI short form includes two scales: a 7-item Reactivity Index and a 6-item Dysphoria Index. Index raw scores will be converted into t-scores.

    3 times a week during 23 weeks from baseline

Secondary Outcomes (10)

  • Change from baseline of Quality of life as scored on the KIDSCREEN after 15 weeks and 1 year

    The KIDSCREEN-27 will be assessed at baseline (T0), at week 2-6 (T1), at week17-23 (T2), week 25 (T3) and after 1 year (T4)

  • Change from baseline of severity of autism spectrum symptoms as measured on the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2) after 15 weeks and 1 year

    The SRS-2 (parents) will be assessed at baseline (T0), at week 2-6 (T1), at week17-23 (T2), week 25 (T3) and after 1 year (T4).

  • Change from baseline on the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) after the intervention after 15 weeks

    The GAS will be assessed in the fifth (week 7-11), tenth (week12-16) en fifteenth (week 17-23) sessions.

  • Change from baseline of self-esteem as measured on the The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) after 15 weeks and 1 year

    Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale will be assessed at the baseline (T0), at week 2-6 (T1), at week17-23 (T2), week 25 (T3) and after 1 year.

  • Change from baseline of Global functioning as measured on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) after 15 weeks and 1 year

    The whole version will be assessed at baseline, short version at week 2-6 (T1), at week17-23 (T2), week 25 (T3) and after 1 year (T4).

  • +5 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (1)

EAT Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

15 sessions of EAT

Behavioral: Equine assisted Therapy (EAT)

Interventions

15 sessions of EAT will be given. Activities will be with or in the presence of the horse. There will be no horseriding.

EAT Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

Age11 Years - 18 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsChild (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

  • between 11-18 years old;
  • a clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders according the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM 5) as diagnosed by a Beroepen in de Individuele Gezondheidszorg (BIG) registered healthcare professional;
  • insufficient emotion regulation after regular therapy for at least 1,5 years as indicated by a score above clinical cut-off (T-score = 65) on the EDI;
  • comorbidities are allowed except for those interfering with safety.

You may not qualify if:

  • unable to respond to questions (parents or adolescents);
  • no access to an Internet connection;
  • insufficient mastery of Dutch language in parents or adolescents;
  • physically incapable to work with the horses;
  • unstable medication use;
  • total intelligence quotient (IQ) equal to or below 80 on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III-R or WISC-V);
  • allergic or phobic to horses;
  • insufficient regulation to safely handle the horses;
  • therapy with horses within the last two years.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (3)

Karakter

Ede, Gelderland, 6717 LX, Netherlands

RECRUITING

Horses & Co

Heerjansdam, Netherlands

RECRUITING

De Gagelhoeve

Mill, Netherlands

RECRUITING

Related Publications (2)

  • Trzmiel T, Purandare B, Michalak M, Zasadzka E, Pawlaczyk M. Equine assisted activities and therapies in children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and a meta-analysis. Complement Ther Med. 2019 Feb;42:104-113. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.11.004. Epub 2018 Nov 5.

    PMID: 30670226BACKGROUND
  • den Boer JC, Klip H, Blonk A, Lenselink M, Kaijdoe SPT, Tielkes M, van Zandbeek A, Bres G, Herinx M, Staal WG, Rommelse N. Study Protocol: Pegasus: psychotherapy incorporating horses for 'therapy-resistant' adolescents with autism spectrum disorders, a study with series of randomised, baseline controlled n-of-1 trials. BMC Psychiatry. 2024 Jul 10;24(1):499. doi: 10.1186/s12888-024-05879-w.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Emotional RegulationAutism Spectrum Disorder

Interventions

Equine-Assisted Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Self-ControlSocial BehaviorBehaviorChild Development Disorders, PervasiveNeurodevelopmental DisordersMental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Animal Assisted TherapyRehabilitationAftercareContinuity of Patient CarePatient CareTherapeuticsPhysical Therapy ModalitiesPsychotherapyBehavioral Disciplines and Activities

Study Officials

  • Nanda Lambregt-Rommelse, Prof. Dr.

    Radboud/Karakter

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Jenny den Boer, Drs

CONTACT

Helen Klip, Dr.

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
NA
Masking
NONE
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
SINGLE GROUP
Model Details: Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the five pre-defined baseline lengths (2-6 weeks) to increase the internal validity of the design with a 1:1 allocation using permuted blocks of random sizes.
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

December 17, 2021

First Posted

January 20, 2022

Study Start

February 14, 2022

Primary Completion

December 1, 2024

Study Completion

December 1, 2024

Last Updated

November 4, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-11

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Locations