Defense Department to Finance a Study That Pairs Dogs with Troops Suffering from PTSD

Lest another person doubts the work of a psychiatric service dog... Finally, a study is being done to show the impact of service dogs for individuals with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder!

First, Check this out! http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/1423622-p2.html

Defense Department finances study that pairs dogs with troops suffering PTSD

by Alan Bavley

The Kansas City Star

Photos by GARVEY SCOTT/The Kansas City Star
Persian Gulf War veteran Chris Kornkven (left) greeted Rainbow, a female Rhodesian ridgeback, as fellow Gulf War veteran Anthony Hardie met Kenji, another ridgeback, and his handler, Joan Esnayra. The dogs demonstrated how they could help troops with post-traumatic stress disorder during a military health research conference this week in Kansas City. Kornkven has PTSD.

“It levels the playing field and stimulates creativity and fresh ideas,” Kaime said.
Love and Esnayra received funding for a small, 18-month “seedling” study that could lead to a bigger project if it yields positive results.
Ten troops with PTSD will receive a psychiatric service dog and professional dog training, along with conventional treatment. A comparison group will receive treatment alone.
Every three months, the troops will take psychological tests and have their stress hormone levels checked.
The Defense Department is involved in more medical research — and more kinds of research — than might be expected.
It funds combat-related work on such topics as Gulf War illness, traumatic brain injury and physical rehabilitation. But it also tackles research on childhood asthma, food allergies, osteoporosis and multiple sclerosis, among other maladies.
Advocates for various medical conditions have been pleased with how the Defense Department dispenses its research money. Illness survivors and family members are included on the panels that review grant applications.
The department started its broad medical mission in 1992 when breast cancer research advocates pressed Congress for more funding. Instead of all the money being funneled to the National Cancer Institute, $25 million went to the Defense Department.
Since then, the Defense Department’s portfolio of medical research has grown steadily. Appropriations have totaled more than $5.3 billion.
“Congress has been impressed with how we administer our programs. We’re very efficient,” Kaime said.

Kenji (left) and Rainbow are specially trained by the Psychiatric Service Dog Society to assist people with severe mental disability. Their handlers were Joan Esnayra, the society’s founder, and Craig Love, a psychologist.

To reach Alan Bavley, call 816-234-4858 or send e-mail to abavley@kcstar.com.

Then, Check this out... http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/news.aspx?ID=630457

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

OFFICE OF MINORITY HEALTH

Service Dogs Help Traumatized Veterans Heal: These trained canines alert owners to warning signs of PTSD, experts say

Today's Health News
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Iraq war veteran Jennifer Pacanowski was unaware that she was racing dangerously down the freeway at 85 miles an hour when she felt a wet nose nudge her elbow.
She immediately slowed down.
The wet nose belonged to Boo, Pacanowski's 110-pound Bull Mastiff, warning her that her anxiety levels were rising, a dangerous state given that Pacanowski has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from her experiences as a medic in the war.
Boo, who turned 1 in August, has been with Pacanowski, helping her deal with the world since last December.
"Sometimes I forget where I am and will go back to the war in Iraq. He brings me back to reality and makes me realize that I can't run people off the road. It's a frequent thing with PTSD to have road rage," said Pacanowski, who returned to the United States at the end of 2004 and now lives in northeastern Pennsylvania. "He's a comfort. I also know I'm not alone, and people can't just sneak up on me without his knowledge."
Boo is one of a team of "psychiatric service dogs" being used all over the country to help people with various mental health issues, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and, perhaps most notably, PTSD.
"If a dog observes when a person with PTSD is escalating, the dog will be able to signal that they are escalating and, given it's so early in process, the person can manage and even prevent the escalation," explained Joan Gibbon Esnayra, president and founder of the Psychiatric Dog Service Association.
The dogs have been in service for about 12 years and while patients and professionals alike know they work wonders, there has been no real empirical evidence of their value.
That's where the U.S. Department of Defense comes in. It's starting a 12-month study to find out exactly how the dogs help by comparing soldiers with PTSD who have dogs with a similar group of soldiers without a dog. Researchers will measure changes in symptoms and medication use.
"We want to provide evidence for something we know observationally and help create a movement towards the use of psychiatric service dogs," said lead investigator Craig T. Love, senior study director at Westat, a research corporation in Rockville, Md. "It's time to make a change."
"A recent survey showed that 82 percent of patients with PTSD who were assigned a dog had a decrease in symptoms, and 40 percent had a decrease in the medications they had to take," added Dr. Melissa Kaime, director of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP), who spoke at a telebriefing last month. "I fully expect this will be positive trial."
Details of this and several other studies being funded by CDMRP are to be presented this week at the Military Health Research Forum in Kansas City.
Other research includes creating a "virtual supermarket" environment to help veterans with both PTSD and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) cope with a return to civilian life.
Veterans with these conditions can have trouble adapting from being in a combat zone to being at home, where seemingly mundane daily events can prove jarring.
"These soldiers have challenges and difficulties when they have buttons that can be pushed and, when they are pushed, there's no calling it back," explained Dr. Charles E. Levy, lead investigator on this trial and chief of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System. "This is [a virtual] environment where people could have a chance to basically practice life skills without the consequences of failure."
Levy decided on a grocery store because it "offers challenges of planning, challenges of finding the stuff once you decide what you're going to get, managing money," he said. "While all this may seem trivial, it's actually not trivial to many of the people we're seeing. Daily planning can be a challenge if you're distracted all the time or if you're nervous around crowds."
The virtual environment will be populated with grocery carts pushed by other shoppers (some loud, some not) and soldiers will have to deal with a collision of shopping carts, said Levy, adding that the prototype is not yet finished.
Other researchers will be trying to develop a more effective helmet for combat, and others are seeing if mifepristone, known as "the abortion pill," can help men and women with chronic, multi-symptom illness from the 1990-91 Gulf War.
"It's exactly the same medication [as that used in abortions]. Safety studies have been done and we don't anticipate any issue with that," Kaime said.

More information:
There's more on dogs like Boo at the Psychiatric Dog Service Association .
SOURCES: Joan Gibbon Esnayra, president and founder, Psychiatric Dog Service Association; Charles E. Levy, M.D., chief, physical medicine and rehabilitation, North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System; Craig T. Love, Ph.D., senior study director, Westat, Rockville, Maryland; Jennifer Pacanowski, Henryville, Pa.; Aug. 5, 2009, telebriefing with Capt. Melissa Kaime, M.D., director, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, Fort Detrick, Md.Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC . All rights reserved.

HealthDayNews articles are derived from various sources and do not reflect federal policy.omhrc.gov does not endorse opinions, products, or services that may appear in news stories.
Content Last Modified: 9/3/2009 9:00:00 AM

4th Annual Psychiatric Service Dog Gathering in Arlington, Virginia

Before departure at the Portland International Airport in Portland, Maine

October 3- October 6, 2008, My friend and I set out via plane with our service dogs to attend the 4th Annual PSDS gathering in Arlington, Virginia. It was much more fun traveling with another person and service dog and turned what would have been a lot more nerve wracking actually kind of fun!

We arrived in Arlington at about 3 pm on Friday the 3rd and spent a little relaxation time in our hotel room before hiking out for Joan's apartment for the evening gathering of people and their service dogs. She does this every year and we manage to cram quite a number of bodies into that little apartment. She always has good food and drink waiting. To my surprise, my friend Elaine and her Sheltie SD and me and my Rosie were the first to arrive. We helped put some things together for the main even, the Saturday gathering at the dog park. Eventually people began to show up. There were many dogs, some not on their best behavior (or maybe they were), and of all sizes. I recognized each dog as they came through the door and thus was able to identify the human following behind as a result. We watched a couple of videos, but it was hard for me to get comfortable as Rosie needed protection from me and I needed to relocate to view one of the videos. This put me peering into the bedroom from the door with Rosie underneath me as I tried to view the video on the bedroom TV screen.

Rosie finds a safe place to chill out at Joan's busy apartment

We were close enough to Joan's place to be able to walk there and walk back to the hotel afterwards. Service Dog Winston and his human joined us for the walk back that night.

Some familiar canine faces at Joan's apartment: Service dogs Teddy (a Keeshund from Alabama) and Winston (a Border Collie from Vermont)

My friend Elaine and I took a slow morning and ate breakfast with some new friends before heading out early to the dog park to help set up for the main event... the Silent Auction and luncheon.

Rosie waits for me to finish breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Love the carpet

AT THE DOG PARK, SETTING UP FOR THE GATHERING...

Supporter patches decorate part of the PSD Access quilt project. Wagnit's display was something else this year! They had an ad in Bark this past year!

Winston hangs out while his human, Melanie helps set up for the big event. Elaine and Jenn look over Silent Auction items during set up.

The fabulous Could Be, a Miniature Schnauzer from Washington State was able to attend with his human!

I helped lable the items that were up for the silent auction... especially the items I donated, and I tried my best to organize all the items. I thought there should have been at least 1 more table. It was a bit chaotic up there. Wagn It had these neat Pet Passports that if I traveled more, I would have purchased one. What was great was that having the tent set up right next to the dog park, we could take the dogs over to play or whatever when ever we needed. I find I need to make sure there are not a bunch of rowdy dogs out there before I take Rosie out. We got to meet Winston off leash in the dog park which was great. Rosie got to play with his ball.

Goofy Border Collies play in the dog park... Winston plays with his oversized ball and then give Rosie a chance to try it out. She is so used to controlling balls with her teeth, it took her a while to figure out how to maneuver the large orange ball.

Unfortunately, there was no Godiva Chocolate Cheese cake this year. However, I got to try out some foods that typically I would not eat. All the food was good... even the lasagna that I was not too sure about trying.

I did not spend as much money at the silent auction as I did last year to save money for the rest of the weekend. I only spent about $26. I was surprised that not more people were bidding on things... especially since some items had no bids at all. Some items were more expensive items that unless a person planned on it, s/he would not be able to bid on it at all.

Two Standard Poodles participate with their human in the "Doga" class

Events: Doga (Yoga for you and your dog) and a "how do I teach my dog to find my car...?" class. Elaine did some fiddlin' and I got to meet some people and dogs I'd only typed to on the listserv or on Dogster.

PSD User squares on display... ready for attachment to the growing quilt project!

HERE ARE MORE DOGS AND HUMANS AT THE GATHERING...

Service Dogs in Training: Chocolate Lab, Fallon and German Shepherd Dog, Sophie get dressed for the hike back to their hotels with their humans... Elaine with Destry, a Belgian Shepherd from Texas.

Paxil, a soon-to-be retired service dog finally agrees to a photograph... "Did someone call for Security??" Rainbow, the Rhodesian Ridgeback (one of Joan's dogs) makes her rounds to check up on things. (She always has a furrowed brow which gives her that always worried expression... too cute!)

NEXT>>>

I will be posting on the rest of Saturday... the hike home and evening visitors. STAY TUNED!

People and their service dogs gathered in the dog park for playtime for one last time before returning to the hotel for the evening... Rosie takes a break with Winston's ball in the park while I try to egg her on... Jenn and her human rest along the fence at the dog park to watch the others play after a long day of activities.

Winston and his human, Teddy and his human, followed by Fallon and his human walk through Arlington after the festivities on Saturday evening. Fallon and Winston and their humans spent the evening with Elaine and Jenn, and me and Rosie in our hotel room for a night of pizza and comraderie.

Rosie and new boyfriend, Winston veg out on my bed in the hotel room... notice how they both have their tongues sticking out of their mouths. I thought Rosie was the only dog that slept with her tongue sticking out! Fallon found a cozy place in the corner of the hotel room, next to the desk to veg out. He had his own nap pad with him! What the little boy scout!

Sunday Morning, we wait with our service dogs for a group to gather to walk to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. Fallon patiently waits with his human while Rosie does a goofy paws up for the camera.

Fallon on the left with his human, Winston and his human, and Teddy with his human walk down the sidewalk in Arlington. We are going to meet with other SDs and handlers for a Sunday lunch.

Here is Rosie and me walking in Arlington to get to the restaurant with other service dogs and their handlers... I look over my shoulder as Melanie takes a picture of me with Rosie, and to my right, Teddy and his human wait.

Doesn't this seem like a very typical photo of Neil? I mean, where else would someone on the listserv expect to see him? But seriously, at the lunch table in a restaurant? Do you think the listserv can go without a moderator long enough for us to eat lunch?

Nose to nose seating underneath the table at the restaurant... what amazes me is that these dogs don't know each other yet they can lie quietly nose to nose without fighting or getting all gitty about all the other dogs. Now THAT is service dog material!

Sophie, Service dog in training uses Winston's butt as a pillow.

After the restaurant on Sunday, Elaine and Jenn, and Rosie and me head for the train to tour DC for the rest of the day. Stay Tuned for the pictures of this "monumental" trip!!!

We Are a Certified Service Dog Team Now!

As of October 21, 2007, we have been a service dog team. We got a framed certificate that read the following:

"Certified Service Dog Team

Heather Gerquest & Rowena

The above named team has met the objectives and requirements outlined by Tail Waggin Training Center and has agreed to the professional standards of conduct, thus having acheived the status of Certified Service Dog Team with Public Access."

Below is the photo taken after our Public Access Test given at the Bangor Mall, Bangor, Maine US by Rob Boulier of Tail Waggin Training Center. It was an impromptu test... we were there just to go through and see what was involved in the test, but I was given the option to test. I did so which was probably a great thing because I did not have time to get nervous.

Rob & Lynn wanted to do something special, and I didn't know what the meant. I didn't know certification through them was an option for me since Rosie is a handler-trained service dog. In January, the Bouliers stopped by to deliver my certificate, beautifully framed, and the certification surprised me.
I feel quite honored that they trusted us as a team enough to put their name on our certificate... and very proud of Rosie, who will still always be "in Training".