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Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapy for Treating Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
Abstract: To investigate clinical effects of equine-assisted activities and therapy (EAA/T) for treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children age 6-13 years. Methods: This 12-week, prospective, open-label trial included 24 sessions of EAA/T. Twenty participants (19 boys and 1 girl) completed 12 weeks of EAA/T. Various clinical tests were administered at baseline and after EAA/T. Assessments included the investigator-administered ADHD-Rating Scale (ARS-I), Clinical Global Impressions (CGI)-Severity Scale, Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement Scale (CGI-I), Gordon Diagnostic System, Korea-Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL), Self-Esteem Scale, second edition of the Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency (BOT-2), and quantitative electroencephalography. The primary efficacy measure was the response rate. Results: The response rate was 90% based on a 30% or greater decline in the ARS-I score or 85% based on CGI-I scores of 1 or 2. The mean±standard deviation ARS-I score decreased from 33.65±6.42 at baseline to 16.80±6.86 after 12 weeks of EAA/T (p<0.001, paired t-test). EAA/T also resulted in significant improvement in the social problems subscale of the K-CBCL and in the manual dexterity, bilateral coordination, and total motor composite subscales of the BOT-2. The theta/beta ratio on electroencephalography was decreased significantly at the Pz electrode after 12 weeks of EAA/T. Conclusions: This is the first study demonstrating that EAA/T is effective for improving core ADHD symptoms. On the basis of these results, EAA/T could be a viable treatment strategy as a part of a multimodal therapy for children with ADHD.
Publication Date: 2015-07-13 PubMed ID: 26167851DOI: 10.1089/acm.2015.0067Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Clinical Trial
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research paper examines the effects of horse-assisted activities and therapy (EAA/T) on treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children between 6 to 13 years of age, demonstrating its effectiveness in improving core ADHD symptoms.
Research Methodology
- The research study carried out was a 12-week, prospective, open-label trial involving twenty participants – 19 boys and one girl.
- All the participants underwent 24 sessions of EAA/T
- Several clinical tests were performed both before the sessions started (baseline) and after the EAA/T intervention
- These tests involved tools like the ADHD-Rating Scale (ARS-I), Clinical Global Impressions (CGI)-Severity Scale, Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement Scale (CGI-I), Korea-Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL), Self-Esteem Scale, the Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency (BOT-2) and quantitative electroencephalography
- The main efficacy measure was the response rate
Research Findings
- The responders’ rate was 90%, based on a 30% or more reduction in the ARS-I score, or an 85% response rate based on CGI-I scores of 1 or 2
- The mean ARS-I score declined significantly from 33.65±6.42 at baseline to 16.80±6.86 after the EAA/T intervention
- Notably, improvements were seen on the social problem subscale of the K-CBCL test, the manual dexterity, bilateral coordination, and total motor composite sections of the BOT-2 test
- There was a significant decrease in the theta/beta ratio on the electroencephalography results at the Pz electrode post the EAA/T intervention
Study Conclusion
- This study is one of the first to prove the effectiveness of EAA/T in improving the core symptoms of ADHD in children. Thus, it signifies that EAA/T can be considered as a viable treatment method in the multimodal therapy strategy for children struggling with ADHD.
Cite This Article
APA
Jang B, Song J, Kim J, Kim S, Lee J, Shin HY, Kwon JY, Kim YH, Joung YS.
(2015).
Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapy for Treating Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
J Altern Complement Med, 21(9), 546-553.
https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2015.0067 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- 1 Hae-sol Psychiatric Clinic , Seoul, Korea.
- 1 Hae-sol Psychiatric Clinic , Seoul, Korea.
- 2 Samsung Biomedical Research Institute , Seoul, Korea.
- 2 Samsung Biomedical Research Institute , Seoul, Korea.
- 3 Samsung RD Center , Samsung Equestrian Team, Gunpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
- 3 Samsung RD Center , Samsung Equestrian Team, Gunpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
- 4 Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine , Seoul, Korea.
- 4 Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine , Seoul, Korea.
- 5 Department of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine , Seoul, Korea.
MeSH Terms
- Adolescent
- Animals
- Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / therapy
- Child
- Equine-Assisted Therapy
- Female
- Horses
- Humans
- Male
- Motor Skills
- Prospective Studies
- Republic of Korea
- Social Behavior
Citations
This article has been cited 13 times.- Marchand WR. Potential Mechanisms of Action and Outcomes of Equine-Assisted Services for Veterans with a History of Trauma: A Narrative Review of the Literature. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023 Jul 16;20(14).
- Zhu F, Zhu X, Bi X, Kuang D, Liu B, Zhou J, Yang Y, Ren Y. Comparative effectiveness of various physical exercise interventions on executive functions and related symptoms in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Front Public Health 2023;11:1133727.
- Li D, Wang D, Cui W, Yan J, Zang W, Li C. Effects of different physical activity interventions on children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Front Neurosci 2023;17:1139263.
- Corallo F, Bonanno L, Cardile D, Luvarà F, Giliberto S, Di Cara M, Leonardi S, Quartarone A, Rao G, Pidalà A. Improvement of Self-Esteem in Children with Specific Learning Disorders after Donkey-Assisted Therapy. Children (Basel) 2023 Feb 22;10(3).
- Adhvaryu KP, Karthikbabu S, Rao PT. Motor performance of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: focus on the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency. Clin Exp Pediatr 2022 Nov;65(11):512-520.
- Xie Y, Gao X, Song Y, Zhu X, Chen M, Yang L, Ren Y. Effectiveness of Physical Activity Intervention on ADHD Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Psychiatry 2021;12:706625.
- Ahn B, Joung YS, Kwon JY, Lee DI, Oh S, Kim BU, Cha JY, Kim JH, Lee JY, Shin HY, Seo YS. Effects of equine-assisted activities on attention and quality of life in children with cerebral palsy in a randomized trial: examining the comorbidity with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. BMC Pediatr 2021 Mar 19;21(1):135.
- Marchand WR, Andersen SJ, Smith JE, Hoopes KH, Carlson JK. Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies for Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Current State, Challenges and Future Directions. Chronic Stress (Thousand Oaks) 2021 Jan-Dec;5:2470547021991556.
- Gitimoghaddam M, Vanderloo LM, Hung R, Ryce A, McKellin W, Miller A, Collet JP. Impacts of Participation in Community-Based Physical Activity Programs on Cognitive Functions of Children and Youth with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review. Brain Sci 2021 Feb 5;11(2).
- Rigby BR, Davis RW, Bittner MD, Harwell RW, Leek EJ, Johnson GA, Nichols DL. Changes in Motor Skill Proficiency After Equine-Assisted Activities and Brain-Building Tasks in Youth With Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:22.
- White-Lewis S. Equine-assisted therapies using horses as healers: A concept analysis. Nurs Open 2020 Jan;7(1):58-67.
- Silva FGD, Paula DD, Alves LM, Santos JN. Benefits of horseback riding for neurotypical children and adolescents: a scoping review. Codas 2025;37(3):e20240083.
- Kovács KE, Balogh ÉZ, Lovas B, Boris P, Nagy BE. The role of animal-assisted programs in physical health improvement of children and adolescents with special education needs - a systematic review. BMC Public Health 2024 Mar 15;24(1):824.
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