The Effects of Equine-assisted Activities and Therapy on Resting-state Brain Function in Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Pilot Study.
10.9758/cpn.2016.14.4.357
- Author:
Jae Hyun YOO
1
;
Yunhye OH
;
Byongsu JANG
;
Jihye SONG
;
Jiwon KIM
;
Seonwoo KIM
;
Jiyoung LEE
;
Hye Yeon SHIN
;
Jeong Yi KWON
;
Yun Hee KIM
;
Bumseok JEONG
;
Yoo Sook JOUNG
Author Information
1. Laboratory of Clinical Neuroscience and Development, Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea. bs.jeong@kaist.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Equine-assisted therapy;
Regional homogeneity;
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder;
Functional magnetic resonance imaging;
Resting state;
Default mode network
- MeSH:
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity;
Brain*;
Equine-Assisted Therapy;
Magnetic Resonance Imaging;
Methods;
Parietal Lobe;
Pilot Projects*;
Psychiatric Rehabilitation;
Therapeutic Uses
- From:Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience
2016;14(4):357-364
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: Equine-assisted activities and therapy (EAA/T) have been used as adjunct treatment options for physical and psychosocial rehabilitation. However, the therapeutic effects on resting-state brain function have not yet been studied. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of EAA/T on participants with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by comparing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) signals and their clinical correlates. METHODS: Ten participants with ADHD participated in a 12-week EAA/T program without any medication. Two rs-fMRIs were acquired for all participants before and after EAA/T. For estimating therapeutic effect, the regional homogeneity (ReHo) method was applied to capture the changes in the regional synchronization of functional signals. RESULTS: After the EAA/T program, clear symptom improvement was found even without medication. Surface-based pairwise comparisons revealed that ReHo in the right precuneus and right pars orbitalis clusters had significantly diminished after the program. Reduced ReHo in the right precuneus cluster was positively correlated with changes in the scores on DuPaul’s ADHD Rating Scale-Korean version. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that EAA/T is associated with short-range functional connectivity in the regions related to the default mode network and the behavioral inhibition system, which are associated with symptom improvement.
