WNDU/Medical Moment: The effects of art and pet robot therapy

University of Cincinnati researchers are studying how art therapy delivered through a mobile app and pet therapy with a robotic dog can affect the wellbeing and mental health of patients with hearing loss.

All patients in the pilot study will be given a tablet, create art based on prompts from the app and then self-report on their mood. Half of the patients in the study will additionally be given a robotic dog to interact with.

Soma Sengupta, MD, PhD, associate professor and Harold C. Schott Endowed Chair of Molecular Therapeutics in the Department of Neurology and a UC Health neuro-oncologist, told WNDU/Medical Moment that oftentimes doctors go straight to prescribing antidepressants, but this study will see if at-home interventions can have a similar effect on improving mood.

Watch the WNDU/Medical Moment report.

Read more about the study.