An interventional study of Dog training in Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Mental Health Conditions, sponsored by Florida Atlantic University. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-24.
Sponsored by Florida Atlantic University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
The goal of this single-arm study is to learn if a dog adoption and training program can treat, prevent in [describe participant population/primary condition; could include any of the following: sex/gender, age groups, healthy volunteers]. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Participants will:
Florida Atlantic University is the lead sponsor of 36 studies on the registry; 7 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
Within-subjects design
Other: Dog training
Eight, one-hour professional dog training sessions over 8-10 weeks
Change in self-reported posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is a 20-item self-report measure of PTSD symptoms with scores ranging from 0 to 80.
Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention
Change in depression symptom severity from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is a 9-item self-report measure of depressive symptoms with scores ranging from 0 to 27.
Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention
Change in anxiety symptom severity from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention
Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) is a is a 7-item self-report measure of anxiety symptoms with scores ranging from 0 to 21.
Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention
Change in perceived stress severity from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention
Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) is a 10-item self-report measure of perceived stress symptoms with scores ranging from 0 to 40.
Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention
Change in sleep disturbance from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention
Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Sleep 8b (PROMIS Sleep 8b) is an 8-item self-report measure of sleep quality over the past 7 days with raw scores ranging from 8 to 40 and standardized T scores ranging from 28.9 to 76.5.
Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention
Change in loneliness from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention
Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale is a 20-item self-report measure of loneliness with scores ranging from 20 to 80.
Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention
Change in alcohol use from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention
Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) is a 10-item self-report measure of alcohol use with scores ranging from 0 to 40.
Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention
Change in cannabis use from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention
Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test (CUDIT) is an 8-item self-report measure of cannabis use with scores ranging from 0 to 32.
Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention
Change in salivary oxytocin levels from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention
Oxytocin is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in determining social behavior. Salivary oxytocin levels range from 6.4-1000 pg/mL.
Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention
Change in Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention
IL-1β is a pro-inflammatory cytokine found to be higher in individuals with PTSD compared to healthy controls. IL-1β is measured via capillary blood obtained via fingerstick.
Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention
Change in Interleukin-6 (IL-6) from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention
IL-6 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine found to be higher in individuals with PTSD compared to healthy controls. IL-6 is measured via capillary blood obtained via fingerstick.
Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention
Change in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention
TNF-alpha is a pro-inflammatory cytokine found to be higher in individuals with PTSD compared to healthy controls. TNF-alpha is measured via capillary blood obtained via fingerstick.
Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention
Change in alcohol demand for participants who answer "yes" to alcohol consumption in the AUDIT measure from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention
Alcohol Purchase Task is a tool to measure alcohol demand by asking individuals how many drinks they would consume at prices ranging from free to high, using behavioral economic indices for scoring.
Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention
Change in cannabis demand for participants who answer "yes" to cannabis use from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention
Cannabis Purchase Task is a tool to measure cannabis demand by assessing how much an individual purchases at increasing prices.
Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention
Change in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) biomarkers from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention
Optional participation in an MRI to detect changes in the structure and resting-state function of specific brain regions (anterior cingulate, amygdala, hippocampus, and insula)
Time frame: Pre-intervention and 4 weeks post-intervention
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Florida Atlantic University