**Author details**

other trainers during animal assisted therapies. [87] Efficiency of these studies depends upon conductance of communication between the related units with a mutual language and a multidisciplinary approach. The most commonly encountered crises issues may be animal

Before starting animal assisted therapy and during its' all procedures, it is always remembered that AAT should be performed according to the guidelines in order to prevent risks including adverse reactions of patients, animals, physicians, caregivers, nurses, health personnels, and also relatives of patients, infectious diseases, bitings, etc. it is well clearly explained that AAT should be arranged, managed and performed by a specialist team including patients' physi‐ cian, veterinary surgeon, psychologist, occupational therapist, expert caregivers, specialist nurses. Therefore, especially veterinary students should be trained about animal assisted therapies, activities and first of all human-animal bond during their undergraduate and postgraduate education. [88]- [91] At this point, according to the Timmins, a veterinary family practice conception can be helpful to understand and contribute human-animal bond from the

During applications, issues like increased work intensity of the personnel, zoonotic diseases, comfort and care of animals are considered. [93] These may be prevented by well-planned programming. [94] Disease risk can be easily prevented by regular animal health controls, and follow up of individuals. In developing countries like Turkey, animal assisted therapy is not practiced as a specialty filed, yet. Only limited services can be provided according to positive outcomes of human-animal interactions. But recently, an international project (Animals in Therapy Education) have been implemented for 2 years among different institutions from Turkey, Italy and France with financial supporting by European Union LLP Grundtvig Program for aged people. This project intends to design a collection of best practices related to implementation of pet therapy on aged people. As a result of this project will also ease the transfer of pet therapy practices through the comparison and the evaluation of different solutions adopted in the countries involved among partners from Italy, France and Turkey. [95]

In this present review, some information about what animal assisted therapies are, application fields, mechanism of action, sample applications for Alzheimer patients, and risk control in AAT, and some recommendations are suggested. It has been observed that this supportive therapeutic approach has been aimed at "complete well-being of individuals physically, socially and mentally as well as improvements of these well-being conditions", which is always emphasized in public health aspect. However, there are still some questions without clear answers, such as AAT is also effective in group therapies as it has been in individualized therapy; how temperament and other features of assisting animal should be. Whatever types the program is, temperaments of all animals should be tested; they should be examined by a

veterinarian; and listening-learning training should be performed with patients.

theoretical framework into the practice for providing needs of patients. [92]

behavior, infection risk, and patient-trainer dispute.

318 Understanding Alzheimer's Disease

**9. Conclusion**

Sibel Cevizci1\*, Halil Murat Sen2 , Fahri Güneş<sup>3</sup> and Elif Karaahmet4

\*Address all correspondence to: cevizci.sibel@gmail.com

1 Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, School of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Canakkale, Turkey

2 Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Can‐ akkale, Turkey

3 Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Canakkale, Turkey

4 Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Can‐ akkale, Turkey
