Document Type

Poster

Associated Faculty

Dr. Valerie Herbert

Sponsoring Academic Department

School of Nursing

Publication Date

2024

Abstract/ Summary

Epilepsy is a disease that causes repeated seizure activity, which leads to injury. Seizure-alert dogs are one useful method in warning patients about their seizures to avoid adverse effects. A literature search was conducted based on this information: In children under 18 years old diagnosed with epilepsy, how does living with a service dog compared to not living with a service dog affect patient safety and well-being? CINAHL, PubMed, Elsevier, and Nursing Reference Center Plus were consulting using the search terms epilepsy, service dogs, seizure-alert dogs, and children. In total, ten articles met the inclusion criteria. The articles provide evidence that supports the efficacy of trained service dogs for children with epilepsy. A limitation of this review includes relatively few recent high quality studies on the efficacy of seizure alert dogs in children with epilepsy. Different studies use different markers to measure the efficacy of service dogs and how they impact a child’s quality of life. Evidence regarding the usefulness of service dogs for individuals with epilepsy was gathered through this synthesis. Following a brief introduction of the role of the service dog in patients with epilepsy, three themes were identified in this synthesis: service dogs for epileptic patients promote a newfound sense of safety and security, improve patients’ quality of life, and reduce the number and intensity of seizures experienced. Findings from these articles all concurred that more rigorous clinical trials are required to truly determine the efficacy of service dogs at predicting impending seizures in owners with epilepsy.

Version

pre-print (i.e. pre-refereeing)

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