Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Molecular Biomarkers Of Adult Human And Dog Stress During Canine-Assisted Interventions: A Systematic Scoping Review, Jaci Gandenberger, Erin Flynn, Em Moratto, Ashley Wendt, Kevin Morris

Institute for Human-Animal Connection: Faculty Scholarship

Positive relationships, including those between humans and other animals, particularly dogs, may be a way to reduce stress in humans. However, research into this area is relatively new, and a comprehensive review of the impacts of these interactions on humans and dogs has not been conducted. A scoping review of the scientific literature was conducted to explore what is known about the impacts of canine-assisted interventions on molecular biomarkers (e.g., cortisol and oxytocin) and associated measures (e.g., heart rate and blood pressure) of human and canine stress. As reported across 27 identified studies, canine-assisted interventions have consistently been demonstrated to …