A Systematic Review of the Efficacy of Animal-Assisted Interventions for Neurological Disorders in Adults

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has gained increasing attention due to its potential to enhance physical, psychological, and social well-being. In recent years, its application has expanded within clinical rehabilitation settings, including neurological care. This systematic review aims to critically evaluate the effectiveness of animal-assisted interventions in adults with neurological disorders. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scielo, Embase, and PEDro databases to identify clinical studies examining the impact of AAT on neurological conditions. Studies were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria focusing on adult populations, clinical trial designs, and clearly reported outcome measures. From the initially identified studies, seventeen clinical trials met the eligibility criteria and were included in the final analysis. Overall findings indicate that animal-assisted therapy contributes positively to multiple outcome domains, including motor performance, physical functioning, psychological health, and behavioral outcomes across various neurological disorders. The evidence synthesized in this review suggests that animal-assisted therapy represents a promising complementary approach in neurological rehabilitation. These findings provide occupational therapists and rehabilitation professionals with supportive evidence to integrate AAT alongside conventional therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcomes.