Comparison of Pet Robot Assisted Therapy and Animal Assisted Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials for Older Adults with Dementia

Abstract

Purpose: Dementia presents a variety of symptoms related to perception, mood, personality, behavior, and basic functioning. Interventions using pet robots and living animals are being attempted as non-pharmacological interventions for older adults with dementia. Methods: This study is a meta-analysis that analyzes four variables (cognition function, agitation, depression, and quality of life (QoL) by selecting randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of older adults with dementia to determine and compare the effectiveness of pet robot-assisted therapy (PRAT) and animal-assisted therapy (AAT). Result: The literature selected was limited to RCTs written in English. Four databases were used in the search and selection therefore: EMBASE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science. The systematic review included 7 articles on PRAT, 7 articles on AAT, and one article on both PRAT and AAT-for a total of 15 articles. Conclusion: The meta-analysis showed that both PRAT and AAT interventions did not have a statistically significant impact on the cognition function, depression, and QoL of older adults with dementia. However, they did have a statistically significant impact on agitation. Future studies require well-designed and large-sample RCT studies.