TY - JOUR

T1 - Effectiveness of animal-assisted activities and therapies for autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AU - Xiao, Ningkun

AU - Bagayi, Vaishnavi

AU - Yang, Dandan

AU - Huang, Xinlin

AU - Zhong, Lei

AU - Kiselev, Sergey

AU - Bolkov, Mikhail A.

AU - Tuzankina, Irina A.

AU - Chereshnev, Valery A.

N1 - The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was supported by the China Scholarship Council (number: 202310100030), Ural Federal University, and Guang\u2019an District Women and Children\u2019s Hospital.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Given the rising interest in complementary therapeutic strategies for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), this research aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the impact of animal-assisted activities and therapies (AAAT) on various ASD symptoms. Methods: A meticulous search of databases, including Scopus and PubMed, was conducted to gather relevant research on AAAT for ASD. This process led to the selection of 45 studies encompassing 1,212 participants. The chosen studies were then subjected to a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of AAAT in alleviating core ASD symptoms. Results: The meta-analysis revealed significant improvements in several core ASD symptoms due to AAAT. Notably, there were improvements in social communication (MD = −4.96, 95% CI [−7.49, −2.44]), irritability (MD = −2.38, 95% CI [−4.06, −0.71]), hyperactivity (MD = −4.03, 95% CI [−6.17, −1.89]), and different word usage skills (MD = 20.48, 95% CI [7.41, 33.55]). However, social awareness (MD = −1.63, 95% CI [−4.07, 0.81]), social cognition (MD = −3.60, 95% CI [−9.36, 2.17]), social mannerisms (MD = −0.73, 95% CI [−2.55, 1.09]), social motivation (MD = −1.21, 95% CI [−2.56, 0.13]), lethargy (MD = −1.12, 95% CI [−3.92, 1.68]), and stereotypical behaviors (MD = −0.23, 95% CI [−1.27, 0.80]) did not significantly improve. Conclusion: The study demonstrates the potential of AAAT in improving certain core symptoms of ASD, such as social communication, irritability, hyperactivity, and word usage skills. However, the effectiveness of AAAT in other ASD symptom domains remains uncertain. The research is limited by the absence of long-term follow-up data and a high risk of bias in existing studies. Therefore, while the findings indicate the promise of AAAT in specific areas, caution is advised in generalizing its efficacy across all ASD symptoms.

AB - Given the rising interest in complementary therapeutic strategies for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), this research aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the impact of animal-assisted activities and therapies (AAAT) on various ASD symptoms. Methods: A meticulous search of databases, including Scopus and PubMed, was conducted to gather relevant research on AAAT for ASD. This process led to the selection of 45 studies encompassing 1,212 participants. The chosen studies were then subjected to a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of AAAT in alleviating core ASD symptoms. Results: The meta-analysis revealed significant improvements in several core ASD symptoms due to AAAT. Notably, there were improvements in social communication (MD = −4.96, 95% CI [−7.49, −2.44]), irritability (MD = −2.38, 95% CI [−4.06, −0.71]), hyperactivity (MD = −4.03, 95% CI [−6.17, −1.89]), and different word usage skills (MD = 20.48, 95% CI [7.41, 33.55]). However, social awareness (MD = −1.63, 95% CI [−4.07, 0.81]), social cognition (MD = −3.60, 95% CI [−9.36, 2.17]), social mannerisms (MD = −0.73, 95% CI [−2.55, 1.09]), social motivation (MD = −1.21, 95% CI [−2.56, 0.13]), lethargy (MD = −1.12, 95% CI [−3.92, 1.68]), and stereotypical behaviors (MD = −0.23, 95% CI [−1.27, 0.80]) did not significantly improve. Conclusion: The study demonstrates the potential of AAAT in improving certain core symptoms of ASD, such as social communication, irritability, hyperactivity, and word usage skills. However, the effectiveness of AAAT in other ASD symptom domains remains uncertain. The research is limited by the absence of long-term follow-up data and a high risk of bias in existing studies. Therefore, while the findings indicate the promise of AAAT in specific areas, caution is advised in generalizing its efficacy across all ASD symptoms.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?partnerID=8YFLogxK&scp=85196294373

UR - https://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcAuth=tsmetrics&SrcApp=tsm_test&DestApp=WOS_CPL&DestLinkType=FullRecord&KeyUT=001249581800001

U2 - 10.3389/fvets.2024.1403527

DO - 10.3389/fvets.2024.1403527

M3 - Review article

VL - 11

JO - Frontiers in Veterinary Science

JF - Frontiers in Veterinary Science

SN - 2297-1769

M1 - 1403527

ER -