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Dogs may spark brain activity in unresponsive patients

NCT ID NCT06931665

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Basel Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study explores whether spending time with a therapy animal can increase brain complexity in people who are minimally conscious after a brain injury. Researchers will measure brain waves (EEG), heart rate, and skin responses in 26 patients during animal-assisted therapy sessions. The goal is to see if this gentle interaction can boost brain signals linked to awareness.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Animal Assisted Occupational Therapy (animal-assisted therapy with a dog or other animal)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a new way to help patients in a minimally conscious state by boosting brain activity and awareness.
What could go wrong
This is a very small, early-stage study with only 26 participants. It measures brain signals, not direct recovery, so even positive results may not lead to a proven treatment.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 26 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jul 2025

Expected to finish

Apr 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Inpatients in one of the study sites * Acquired brain injury resulting from either traumatic or non-traumatic events * Diagnosis of MCS defined by CRS-R according to the Aspen criteria (Giacino, 2005) * Informed consent as documented by signature by the patient's legal representative * Physiologically stable * Aged 18 or over Exclusion Criteria: * Phobia or allergies to any of the involved animals * Medical contraindications: acute or chronic disease (e.g. chronic pain, hypertension, heart disease, renal disease, liver disease, diabetes) * Radical changes in medication (decision made with responsible physician)

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Persistent Vegetative State

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Minimally conscious state

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • REHAB Basel

    RECRUITING

    Basel, Switzerland

  • Service de Neurorééducation, Hopitaux Universitaires Genevois

    RECRUITING

    Geneva, Switzerland

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