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Published on: January 30, 2012
Post-operative benefits of animal-assisted therapy in pediatric surgery: a randomised study
Valeria Calcaterra1, Pierangelo Veggiotti2, Clara Palestrini3
1Department of the Mother and Child Health, Pediatric Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Insights
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) improved post-surgery recovery in children by enhancing vigilance and reducing pain perception. AAT also positively influenced neurological and cardiovascular responses, aiding faster recovery.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric medicine
- Therapeutic interventions
- Psychoneuroimmunology
Background:
- Growing evidence supports the health benefits of animal-assisted therapy (AAT).
- This study investigated AAT's impact on children's stress and pain responses post-surgery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the neurological, cardiovascular, and endocrinological effects of AAT in children after surgery.
- To evaluate AAT's influence on pain perception and recovery.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled pilot study involving 40 children (3-17 years).
- Participants were assigned to either AAT (20-min dog session) or standard care.
- Outcome measures included electroencephalogram (EEG) activity, heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, cerebral oxygenation, salivary cortisol, and pain scale.
Main Results:
- AAT group showed increased diffuse beta-activity on EEG post-intervention (100% vs 0%, p<0.001).
- Significant differences observed in heart rate, oxygen saturation, and cerebral oxygenation time profiles.
- AAT group reported lower pain perception (p=0.01) and showed adaptive cardiovascular responses.
Conclusions:
- AAT promotes faster recovery in vigilance and activity post-anesthesia.
- Animal-assisted therapy modifies pain perception and elicits emotional prefrontal responses.
- AAT demonstrates an adaptive cardiovascular response in pediatric patients.
Background:
Interest in animal-assisted therapy has been fuelled by studies supporting the many health benefits. The purpose of this study was to better understand the impact of an animal-assisted therapy program on children response to stress and pain in the immediate post-surgical period.
Patients And Methods:
Forty children (3-17 years) were enrolled in the randomised open-label, controlled, pilot study. Patients were randomly assigned to the animal-assisted therapy-group (n = 20, who underwent a 20 min session with an animal-assisted therapy dog, after surgery) or the standard-group (n = 20, standard postoperative care). The study variables were determined in each patient, independently of the assigned group, by a researcher unblinded to the patient's group. The outcomes of the study were to define the neurological, cardiovascular and endocrinological impact of animal-assisted therapy in response to stress and pain. Electroencephalogram activity, heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, cerebral prefrontal oxygenation, salivary cortisol levels and the faces pain scale were considered as outcome measures.
Results:
After entrance of the dog faster electroencephalogram diffuse beta-activity (> 14 Hz) was reported in all children of the animal-assisted therapy group; in the standard-group no beta-activity was recorded (100% vs 0%, p<0.001). During observation, some differences in the time profile between groups were observed for heart rate (test for interaction p = 0.018), oxygen saturation (test for interaction p = 0.06) and cerebral oxygenation (test for interaction p = 0.09). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were influenced by animal-assisted therapy, though a higher variability in diastolic pressure was observed. Salivary cortisol levels did not show different behaviours over time between groups (p=0.70). Lower pain perception was noted in the animal-assisted group in comparison with the standard-group (p = 0.01).
Conclusion:
Animal-assisted therapy facilitated rapid recovery in vigilance and activity after anaesthesia, modified pain perception and induced emotional prefrontal responses. An adaptative cardiovascular response was also present.
Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02284100.
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