Previous work from our lab has used the Dutch Ambulatory Monitoring System (AMS) to assess the cardiovascular responses and motility of large free-ranging species (e.g. horses). To further examine the utility of using the AMS with non-humans, a study investigating the heart rate (HR) and heart period variability (HRV) of a large canine undergoing behavioral modification therapy was undertaken. This treatment emulated a restraint and tactile pressure technique that has previously been used in horses. Cardiovascular responses and motility were continuously measured pre-treatment (exposure to a stimulus dog), during treatment (in-box), and post-treatment. The treatment consisted of placing the dog in a 110 cm (long) by 45 cm (wide) by 102 cm (height) wooden box that only covered the animals’ torso and legs and allowed the head to be free. Once the dog was in the box, the body was covered with a lightweight material (grain product) to effect restraint and tactile pressure, which was followed by a repeat exposure to the stimulus animal. Results indicated decreased heart rate and an increased HRV during the intervention as compared to baseline with indices of motility changing in the expected directions. Estimates of respiratory frequency derived from the autoregressive spectral analysis indicated changes in respiration did not account for the cardiovascular effects. In conclusion, tactile pressure and restraint may be an important tool for behavioral modification in both humans and animals, and the AMS is a useful tool for collecting cardiovascular data on a variety of species in a great many contexts.

PURPOSE: A blind, severely intellectually impaired boy aged 17 with Down syndrome and persistent serious challenging behavior received attachment-based behavior modification treatment. The aim was to study the effect of the treatment and the development of the therapeutic attachment relationship.
METHOD: In a single-case study, attachment therapy sessions alternated with control sessions. Treatment started with attachment therapy (phase 1), followed by behavior modification (phase 2). The instruments used were: Residential observation lists for challenging behavior, video analyses of attachment behavior in therapy sessions and physiological indicators of affect regulation measuring the pre-ejection period (PEP) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) as indices of cardiac sympatho-vagal activity.
RESULTS: The client exhibited less frequent and less intensely challenging behavior. The data indicated more appropriate replacement behavior and less PEP arousal during the behavior modification treatment given by the attachment therapist compared to the control therapist who used the same protocol. The client showed more active and longer-lasting attachment behavior, especially proximity seeking, towards the attachment therapist than towards the control therapist.
CONCLUSIONS: Attachment-based psychotherapy proved successful in eliciting attachment behavior in a severely intellectually disabled, socially deprived, behaviorally and affectively dysregulated adolescent. The resulting relationship proved to be a therapeutic platform conducive to behavior change.