Animal Assisted Activities (AAAs) with Dogs in a Dialysis Center in Southern Italy: Evaluation of Serotonin and Oxytocin Values in Involved Patients.

ABSTRACT: Background/Objectives: In the present study, the changes in oxytocin (OXT) and serotonin (5-HT), as hormones involved in social relationships and mood regulation, respectively, were measured in dialysis patients involved in Animal Assisted Activity (AAA) interventions. Methods: Thirty patients (15 men and 15 women) with chronic kidney disease, undergoing hemodialysis three times per week, for 4 h, were enrolled. The patients were divided into three groups: two experimental groups who received the AAA intervention and a control group that never received the AAA intervention. A specific dog-zootherapist vet pair was assigned for each experimental group. All sessions of the two experimental groups were performed weekly, for a total period of 3 months (12 sessions). Blood samples

SUBMITTER: Santaniello A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12731044 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature