Clinical trial · Interventional
Robot Rehab: AAI With Robot During Inpatient Pediatric Rehab
Robot Rehab: Animal Assisted Interactions With a Robotic Baby Harp Seal During Inpatient Pediatric Rehabilitation
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
The purpose of this study is to: Aim 1: Evaluate the feasibility \[consent and refusal rates, attrition rates, length, and number of completed therapy sessions\], and acceptability \[interviews with children and guardians, overall patient and guardian satisfaction\] during inpatient physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) sessions. Hypothesis: Animal-assisted interaction (AAI) with Paro, a robotic baby harp seal, during pediatric inpatient PT/OT sessions will be feasible and acceptable. Aim 2: Assess preliminary efficacy of AAI during PT/OT sessions with Paro on behavior (anxiety and affect) and motivation to participate in rehabilitation in hospitalized children. Hypothesis: Children who use Paro will demonstrate less anxiety, more positive affect, and greater motivation to participate in therapy than those who do not use Paro. Aim 3: Test the stress, anxiety, and depression levels of parents/guardians of children who use Paro inpatient physical and occupational therapy sessions. Hypothesis: In addition, parents and guardians of children that use Paro will report less stress, anxiety, and depression compared to parents/guardians of children that do not use Paro.
Conditions
Conditions (5)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Assisted Therapy | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Child, Hospitalized | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Occupational Therapy | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Pediatric ALL | Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia | ALIAS | 0.90 |
| Physical Therapy Modalities | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paro Robot | Device | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (4)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Physical and Occupational Therapy with Paro Robot
- description
- 10-30 minute semi-structured, prescriptive therapy sessions with Paro robot focused on the categories of 1) speech; 2) balance and endurance; 3) memory; 4) self-esteem; 5) fine motor; 6) sensory stimulation
- interventionNames
- Device: Paro Robot
- type
- NO_INTERVENTION
- label
- Physical and Occupational Therapy without Paro Robot
- description
- 10-30 minute semi-structured, prescriptive therapy sessions without Paro robot focused on the categories of 1) speech; 2) balance and endurance; 3) memory; 4) self-esteem; 5) fine motor; 6) sensory stimulation
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Parents/Guardians of Hospitalized Children who use Paro Robot
- description
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 5 Years
- Maximum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 5-18 * admitted to any of the five inpatient units at Children's Hospital and Medical Center, Omaha, NE * have an available parent or guardian * have an active consult request for PT or OT * awake, alert, able to follow commands * not delirious * able to understand English * free from significant vision or hearing deficits * able to verbalize. Exclusion Criteria: * Have a pacemaker * have airborne, enteric, or enhanced contact precautions * wounds without a covering dressing or a dressing that is visibly soiled * known adverse psychological reactions to animals * excessive secretions via nose or mouth * report feeling nauseated * shows signs of acute agitation (yelling, screaming, moaning, or is otherwise inconsolable).
References
Publications (13)
- BACKGROUNDFine AH. Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice. 4th ed. Burlington, MA: Academic Press; 2015
- BACKGROUNDBailey T, Christenson G, Lust K. The role of an animal-assisted interaction (AAI) program as a means of reducing stress and anxiety within a college community. Oxford, UK: Inter-Disciplinary Press.
- BACKGROUNDBailey T. Animal-assisted interactions (AAI): a creative modality to support youth with depression. In: Brooke SL, Myers CE, eds. The Use of the Creative Therapies in Treating Depression. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas; 2015:269.
- BACKGROUNDBurres S, Edwards NE, Beck AM, Richards E. Incorporating Pets into Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation: A Case Study. Rehabil Nurs. 2016 Nov;41(6):336-341. doi: 10.1002/rnj.260. Epub 2016 Mar 9. PMID 26956570
- BACKGROUNDHetland B, Bailey T, Prince-Paul M. Animal Assisted Interactions to Alleviate Psychological Symptoms in Patients on Mechanical Ventilation. J Hosp Palliat Nurs. 2017 Dec;19(6):516-523. PMID 29276432
- BACKGROUNDTempler D.I., Arikawa H. (2011) The Pet Attitude Scale. In: Blazina C., Boyraz G., Shen-Miller D. (eds) The Psychology of the Human-Animal Bond. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-14419-9761-6_20
- BACKGROUNDStreisand R, Braniecki S, Tercyak KP, Kazak AE. Childhood illness-related parenting stress: the pediatric inventory for parents. J Pediatr Psychol. 2001 Apr-May;26(3):155-62. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/26.3.155. PMID 11259517
- BACKGROUNDSnaith RP. The Hospital Anxiety And Depression Scale. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2003 Aug 1;1:29. doi: 10.1186/1477-7525-1-29. PMID 12914662
- BACKGROUNDWong DL, Baker CM. Pain in children: comparison of assessment scales. Pediatr Nurs. 1988 Jan-Feb;14(1):9-17. No abstract available.