Clinical Trial

Neurological and Physiological Effects of Animal-assisted Therapy for Patients in a Minimally Conscious State

Study acronym: EMCS

Recruiting

Summary

This study aims to explore the impact of Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) on brain signal complexity in patients with minimally conscious state (MCS) by analyzing electroencephalogram (EEG) entropy. MCS patients typically exhibit reduced brain entropy compared to healthy individuals, indicating lower brain complexity. The study will assess whether AAT can enhance this complexity, which is crucial for understanding consciousness levels. Entropy, a measure of randomness in brain activity, will be used to evaluate AAT's effectiveness. In addition, electrocardiography (ECG), electrodermal activity (EDA) and behavioral measurements will also be collected.

Protocol Amendment History 1 amendment

This ClinicalTrials.gov record has been amended once since 2025-04-16.

Status change: Not Yet Recruiting → Recruiting 2025-12-11

Trial Details

NCT Number	NCT06931665
Lead Sponsor	University of Basel Collaborators: Rehab Basel
Conditions	Minimally Conscious State
Enrollment	26 participants
Start Date	2025-07-08
Primary Completion	2027-04 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-04 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-12-18