The Benefit of Hippotherapy in Stroke Patients

NCT05345886 | Unknown DMC

• 1 other identifier: 2021/289
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 50
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study aims to explore the interest of hippotherapy in the management of patients with stroke in the sequelae phase by evaluating the psychological and physical well-being. It is a controlled and randomized prospective longitudinal study. Hippotherapy is a rehabilitation method entrusted to a paramedical or medical profession that uses the horse in its treatment program in addition to conventional medical care. Hippotherapy has benefits at the psychomotor and motor level. The method is based on the use of the horse's characteristic movements when walking to provide sensory information and to induce motor adjustment responses mainly at the level of the pelvis and the trunk of the rider in order to work on balance, postural control, muscle tone and joint mobility of the patient sitting on his back. In particular for people with paresis or plegia sequelae, it contributes to rehabilitation programs. In addition, by inducing a helical movement of the pelvis, the horse's walk reproduces in the the disabled rider a pattern of trunk reactions very similar to that of the normal human walking pattern. This pattern can be integrated as a normal sensorimotor reaction and help the patient to improve his sitting balance and his coordination. Hippotherapy is also interesting because getting out of the traditional rehabilitation framework and being in contact with an imposing animal has positive repercussions on the psyche and therefore on functional recovery. All patients will undergo an assessment that will focus on their physical and psychological well-being at the beginning and end of the study as well as during a follow-up at 2 weeks, one month and 3 months. Patients assigned to the experimental group (EG) will receive, in addition to their physical therapy, a weekly hippotherapy session of 30 minutes. The follow-up will take place during 3 months for a total of 12 sessions. The EG will also be monitored in the short term (before and after each session) for well-being and fatigue. Quality of life will be explored using the SF-36 questionnaire and the SS-QOL scale. Self-esteem will be measured using the Rosenberg scale. Patients' physical abilities will be assessed with functional tests, standing balance measurements on a strength platform and the ABC-S self-evaluation scale.

Conditions

Stroke

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• The stroke specific quality of life (SS-QOL)

  The SS-QOL, which is a disease-specific quality of life measure, consists of 49 items encompassing 12 domains, which include the social role (five questions), mobility (six questions), energy (three questions), language (five questions), self-care (five questions), mood (five questions), personality (three questions), thinking (three questions), upper extremity function (five questions), family role (three questions), vision (three questions), and work/productivity (three questions). Each item is ranked on a five-point Likert scale in which level one means completely agreed while level five means completely disagree. The summary score of this scale is an un-weighted average of the 12 domains. The total score ranges from 49 to 245, with higher scores indicating a better QOL. Scale

  12 weeks

• 36-Item Short Form Survey Instrument (SF-36)

  The Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36) is used to indicate the health status of particular populations, to help with service planning and to measure the impact of clinical and social interventions. It is composed of 8 domains assessing quality of life which enable to obtain two composite scores. Higher scores correspond to a higher quality of life.

  12 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Rosenberg self-esteem scale

  12 weeks

• Timed up & go

  12 weeks

• The Tinetti test

  12 weeks

• Timed chair stand test

  12 weeks

• Strength platform

  12 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Hippotherapy

EXPERIMENTAL

The experimental group will receive 30 minutes of hippotherapy once a week for 12 weeks.

Behavioral: Hippotherapy

Control

NO INTERVENTION

The control group will receive its rehabilitation care

Interventions

Hippotherapy BEHAVIORAL

Hippotherapy is a rehabilitation method entrusted to a paramedic or medical practitioner who uses the horse in his/her program treatment, in addition to conventional medical care.

Hippotherapy

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• patients who have suffered a stroke and who are in a sequelae phase (after hospitalization or discharge from the rehabilitation center)
• patients who have sufficient trunk balance to hold on to the horse
• patients who have the consent of their doctor
• patients who indicated their agreement to participate in the study by signing the consent form

You may not qualify if:

• pressure sore at the seat level
• other lesion or neurological history
• severe cognitive deficits affecting the understanding
• do not understand French language
• allergy to horses
• weigh more than 100 kg
• acute pain syndrome
• epilepsy
• patient has benefited from hippotherapy sessions during the last 6 months

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liege: lead

Study Sites (1)

CNRF

Tinlot, Liège, 4557, Belgium

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stroke

Interventions

Equine-Assisted Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Cerebrovascular Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Animal Assisted Therapy; Rehabilitation; Aftercare; Continuity of Patient Care; Patient Care; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities; Psychotherapy; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities

Central Study Contacts

Helena Cassol, PhD

CONTACT

085519238; hcassol@chuliege.be

Marie Vanderthommen, MS

CONTACT

085519238; Marie.Vanderthommen@chuliege.be

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 6, 2022
• First Posted: April 26, 2022
• Study Start: May 1, 2022
• Primary Completion: January 1, 2023
• Study Completion: January 1, 2025
• Last Updated: July 28, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

BE (1)