Hippotherapy acute impact on heart rate variability non-linear dynamics in neurological disorders.

This study explores the impact of hippotherapy (a form of therapy that involves horse riding) on children suffering from neurological disorders, examining how it affects the functioning of their autonomic nervous system. The research determined that a single session of hippotherapy can induce significant changes to children’s heart rate variability, potentially benefiting their overall well-being.

Introduction

• The study targets neurological disorders that tend to exhibit autonomic dysfunction. Hippotherapy, an interdisciplinary therapy method that incorporates a horse, has been established as a beneficial physical and mental rehabilitation tool for those with physical, mental, and psychological disabilities.
• The intention of this research was to scrutinize the effect of hippotherapy on cardiovascular autonomic control, a facet of health that hadn’t yet been evaluated in relation to hippotherapy.
• The researchers hypothesize that hippotherapy can induce positive changes in heart rate variability, prime evidence of improved autonomic control.

Methodology

• Twelve children with neurological disorders were involved in the study. Their heart rate variability was monitored continuously during a hippotherapy session comprising four phases: a 10-minute rest in a sitting position (P1), a 15-minute preparatory phase on the horse (P2), a 15-minute session of hippotherapy (P3), and a final 10-minute recovery period in a sitting position (P4).
• Time domain and non-linear indices of heart rate variability were calculated for each phase. These included Sample Entropy (SampEn), Lempel-Ziv Complexity (LZC), and Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA).

Results

• During the actual hippotherapy session (P3), there was a significant increase in Sample Entropy and a decrease in Detrended Fluctuation Analysis compared to the initial rest phase (P1). These changes are associated with improved heart rate variability, suggesting a possible positive impact on autonomic control.
• There was also a significant increase in Standard Deviation of RR intervals (SDRR) during the recovery phase (P4) in comparison with the therapy session (P3). An increased SDRR indicates improved autonomic function, thus underlining the potential benefits of hippotherapy.

Conclusion

• The findings reveal that hippotherapy might have a positive impact on children dealing with disorders of a neurological nature. It does this by inducing a beneficial response in their autonomic nervous system both during therapy and in the recovery period that follows. This increases the possibility of hippotherapy being an effective therapeutic tool in managing neurological disorders.