Impact of Canine Mediation Practice in Psychomotor Therapy on Improving the Quality of Life in Adult Epileptic Patients.

In addition to the search for new pharmaceutical or surgical solutions that could improve the therapeutic management of epileptic individuals, it is interesting to ask whether other complementary approaches, such as canine mediation in psychomotor therapy, could enhance the quality of life in this population.

However, there is currently no evidence indicating that exposure to animals through mediation sessions would be beneficial for epileptic individuals, particularly regarding their quality of life, anxiety, emotional management, or cognition (such as social cognition). In the absence of current data in this population, it seems pertinent to study the impact of this practice on people with epilepsy. Furthermore, beyond quality of life, it would be valuable to examine whether it also influences anxiety or the frequency of seizures in individuals with epilepsy (a phenomenon reported for epileptic individuals living with a pet dog or a service dog). Canine mediation could help better manage and regulate the emotions of epileptic individuals, as well as improve their self-esteem.

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Key information

Conditions

Epilepsy Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Person aged ≥ 18 years
Presenting pharmacoresistant epilepsy according to the criteria of the International League Against Epilepsy
Requiring psychomotor therapy sessions for one of the following indications:

Difficult emotional and relational management And/or global motor difficulties And/or body schema organization disorder And/or temporo-spatial disorder

Explicit consent or no opposition to participation in the study by the patient and/or their legal representative or guardian
Image rights consented by the patient and their legal representative or guardian, if applicable
Hospitalization or residence at the Teppe Institute or at the FAM (Foyer d'Accueil Médicalisé) des 4 Jardins planned for at least 3 months
Affiliated with or a beneficiary of a social security scheme

Exclusion criteria

Fear or phobia of dogs
Epileptic person benefiting from a legal protection measure other than guardianship or curatorship
Person with insufficient cognitive abilities to respond to the questionnaires
Pregnant or breastfeeding woman

Treatment and study plan

canine mediation

Other

Animal mediation consists of bringing an animal into contact with a specific audience to improve the mental or physical health of a person. The dog and beneficiaries interact through various activities, in which the animal participates, offered during the sessions. The dog plays a particularly important role as a mediator through the bonds it forms with the human, as well as a non-judgmental partner in interaction.

The canine educator will be accompanied by a healthcare professional during interventions. The sessions are organized based on the expertise and suggestions of both professions (canine educator and psychomotor therapist).

The canine educator will be a state-certified professional educator with a specialization in animal mediation.

The dog used is trained by the educator, with two types of learning being worked on: emotions and "commands" on cue.

standard psychomotor therapy

Other

standard sessions of psychomotor therapy

Primary outcomes

Improvement of quality of life

Time frame: Day 0 and Day 7 after the end of the 10 sessions

Increase in the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory-31 (QOLIE-31) score of at least 5 points between inclusion and one week after the completion of the 10 sessions.

The score of the QOLIE-31 (Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory-31) ranges from 0 to 100. A score of 0 represents the worst possible quality of life, while a score of 100 represents the best possible quality of life.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Amelie Yavchitz

CONTACT

[email protected]

+33148036454

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild

Network

Registry information

Acronym: MCP-Epi

Important dates

Study start: 2026
Primary completion: 2029
Study completion: 2029
First posted: Mar 27, 2025
Registry last updated: Dec 17, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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