Evidence Building for Animal Therapy in the Elderly: Validation Through Frontal Lobe Function Assessment

Learning Objectives:

• Upon completion, participants will be able to describe the methods used to evaluate frontal lobe function in older adults, including the Trail Making Test Part A and functional near-infrared spectroscopy.
• Upon completion, participants will be able to differentiate the cognitive effects of two types of Dog Assisted Activities—command tasks versus communication tasks—on brain activation patterns.
• Upon completion, participants will be able to discuss the potential implications of dog-assisted interventions for maintaining independence in activities of daily living among older adults.