Effect of hyppotherapy on cognitive and psycomotor areas in psychomotor-retarded patients

Abstract

Introduction. To show the effect of hippotherapy on cognitive and psychomotor areas in a retarded patient attending Fundación Centro de Equinoterapia IPS, it was conducted a quasi-experimental non-randomized controlled study, with pre and post-test measurements. The patient was a female minor, seven years, nine months old, with a psychomotor retardation diagnosis. Materials and methods. Two neuropsychological tests were used, the Cumanin Questionnaire (child neuropsychological maturity), and McCarthy Scale of aptitudes and psychomotor. Treatment was the independent variable (IV) while cognitive and psychomotor areas were the dependent variables (DV) Results. Total score in verbal development was 10 in the pre and 35 in the post-test, while non-verbal language scored 30 in pre and 45 in post-test. Direct score conversion in overall development to development quotient (DQ) showed a 83 score in pre and 95 in post-test. Conclusions. The application of hippotherapeutic procedure improved the patient’s development index at psychomotor, language, spatial structuring and visual perception level. Articulatory language, attention and writing areas were not modified; nevertheless, there was a decrease in iconic memory (sensory memory record related to visual domain).