The cortisol awakening response in a 3 month clinical trial of service dogs for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Recent literature suggests that service dogs may be a valuable complementary intervention option for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among military veterans due to the potential influence on stress response dysregulation. The aim of this short-term longitudinal study was to quantify the impact of service dogs in US military veterans with PTSD with particular attention to the cortisol awakening response. A sub aim of the study was to empirically evaluate the physiological effects of PTSD service dogs on veteran partners. We conducted a clinical trial (ID: NCT03245814) that assessed the cortisol awakening response for 245 participants at baseline and 3 months follow-up across an intervention group (service dog: veterans n = 88, partners n = 46) and control group (usual care: n = 73, partners n = 38). A total of N = 161 veterans and N = 84 partners collected whole saliva samples via a passive drool collection immediately upon waking, 30 min after waking, and 45 min after waking on three consecutive weekdays at baseline and again at follow-up. Mixed model repeated measures (MMRM) with a fixed effect of the intervention group (service dog or control) were utilized. Covariates considered for the model included time of awakening, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, prior day experiences (measured via ecological momentary assessment), traumatic brain injury, age, gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, smoking status, alcohol use, physical health, and body mass index. A total of 3951 salivary samples were collected (veterans: 2613, partners: 1338). MMRM results demonstrated that veterans with a service dog had a statistically significant higher cortisol awakening response, including the area under the curve with respect to both increase (AUCi, ß = 1.46, p = 0.046) and absolute increase (AINC, ß = 0.05, p = 0.035). Results were not statistically significant for partners. Findings suggest that veterans with service dogs have a higher, less blunted CAR in comparison to veterans receiving usual care alone. In veterans with a blunted morning cortisol response, service dog placement could help boost their morning cortisol response.

Optimising Online Peer Support for People with Young Onset Dementia.

People with Young Onset Dementia (YOD) can be hesitant to engage with online peer support. This work aims to explore (1) why people are hesitant to engage in online peer support, (2) how to get more people involved in online peer support, and (3) what makes online peer support work well. Nine interviews with people with YOD were conducted on MS Teams. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were analysed thematically. Reasons for being hesitant to engage with online peer support include being unsure what to expect and concerns about seeing others in more advanced stages of dementia. Additionally, it can be difficult to identify groups that suit one's needs and interests. Group facilitators of online peer support groups should provide a detailed description of their group so that people can better assess whether the group would suit them. The insights obtained from this study will be used to develop a Best Practice Guidance on online peer support for people with YOD. Moreover, the findings can be useful for further research exploring how to support people with dementia in general in accessing online health and social care services.

The Aerial Guide Dog: A Low-Cognitive-Load Indoor Electronic Travel Aid for Visually Impaired Individuals.

Most navigation aids for visually impaired individuals require users to pay close attention and actively understand the instructions or feedback of guidance, which impose considerable cognitive loads in long-term usage. To tackle the issue, this study proposes a cognitive burden-free electronic travel aid for individuals with visual impairments. Utilizing human instinctive compliance in response to external force, we introduce the "Aerial Guide Dog", a helium balloon aerostat drone designed for indoor guidance, which leverages gentle tugs in real time for directional guidance, ensuring a seamless and intuitive guiding experience. The introduced Aerial Guide Dog has been evaluated in terms of directional guidance and path following in the pilot study, focusing on assessing its accuracy in orientation and the overall performance in navigation. Preliminary results show that the Aerial Guide Dog, utilizing Ultra-Wideband (UWB) spatial positioning and Measurement Unit (IMU) angle sensors, consistently maintained minimal deviation from the targeting direction and designated path, while imposing negligible cognitive burdens on users while completing the guidance tasks.

Effects of service dogs on children with ASD's symptoms and parents' well-being: On the importance of considering those effects with a more systemic perspective.

The integration of a service dog can have numerous benefits for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, although integration takes place within a family, little is known about the dynamics of these benefits on the family microsystem. Thus, the aim of our study was to propose a more systemic perspective, not only by investigating the benefits of SD integration, but also by exploring the relationships between improvements in children with ASD, parents' well-being, parenting strategies and the quality of the child-dog relationship. Twenty parent-child with ASD dyads were followed before, as well as 3 and 6 months after service dog integration. At each stage, parents completed an online survey which included: the Autism Behavior Inventory (ABI-S), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y), the Parenting Stress Index Short Version (PSI-SF), the Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS) and the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ). First, repeated measure one-way ANOVAs revealed that both children's ASD symptoms and parents' anxiety decreased significantly after service dog integration. Additionally, Spearman correlations revealed that the more ASD symptoms decreased, the more parent's anxiety and parenting stress also decreased. Second, the quality of the child-dog relationship appeared to contribute to those benefits on both children's ASD symptoms and parents' well-being. Interestingly, parenting strategies seemed to adapt according to these benefits and to the quality of the child-dog relationship. Through a more systemic perspective, this study highlighted that the integration of a service dog involved reciprocal and dynamic effects for children with ASD and their parents, and shed new light on the processes that may underlie the effects of a service dog for children with ASD.

'Having the dog as part of our family gives us hope': Experiences of the impact of assistance dogs on the occupational engagement of children with autism and their families.

BACKGROUND: Autism is a developmental disorder characterised by changes in social, communication, and behavioural performance. Assistance dogs can support children with autism to engage in everyday occupations. Despite more children being partnered with assistance dogs, there is limited research regarding the impact of assistance dogs on the occupational engagement of children with autism and their families, and further research is needed to fully understand the impact of this type of support within the Australian context. OBJECTIVES: To explore caregiver-reported experiences of an assistance dog on the occupational engagement of children with autism and their families. METHOD: Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with six caregivers of seven children with autism, who each had an assistance dog. Interviews ranged from 45 to 60 minutes in duration. Data were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Trustworthiness was maximised through independent recruitment, research team discussions, member checking, and a researcher reflective journal. FINDINGS: Three themes were identified: participation in everyday occupations prior to and after partnering with an assistance dog, increased engagement in everyday occupations, and impact of the assistance dog on the family unit. Assistance dogs were reported to progress children from community 'isolation' to 'freedom'. Participants reported the dog increased children's capacities through positively influencing completion of routines, increasing independence, and improving therapy engagement. Assistance dogs were viewed as supporting the whole family's occupational engagement. Some challenges were identified with the introduction of the assistance dog to the family unit, and with animal maintenance costs and time demands, public access rights, and limited government funding. CONCLUSION: This research identifies benefits and challenges for children who partner with autism assistance dogs. It provides insights to inform assistance animal referral, assessment, and support of assistance dogs in Australia for children with autism and occupational therapists working with them.

Transposons in the Williams-Beuren Syndrome Critical Region are Associated with Social Behavior in Assistance Dogs.

A strong signature of selection in the domestic dog genome is found in a five-megabase region of chromosome six in which four structural variants derived from transposons have previously been associated with human-oriented social behavior, such as attentional bias to social stimuli and social interest in strangers. To explore these genetic associations in more phenotypic detail-as well as their role in training success in a specialized assistance dog program-we genotyped 1001 assistance dogs from Canine Companions for Independence®, including both successful graduates and dogs released from the training program for behaviors incompatible with their working role. We collected phenotypes on each dog using puppy-raiser questionnaires, trainer questionnaires, and both cognitive and behavioral tests. Using Bayesian mixed models, we found strong associations (95% credibility intervals excluding zero) between genotypes and certain behavioral measures, including separation-related problems, aggression when challenged or corrected, and reactivity to other dogs. Furthermore, we found moderate differences in the genotypes of dogs who graduated versus those who did not; insertions in GTF2I showed the strongest association with training success (ß = 0.23, CI95% = - 0.04, 0.49), translating to an odds-ratio of 1.25 for one insertion. Our results provide insight into the role of each of these four transposons in canine sociability and may inform breeding and training practices for working dog organizations. Furthermore, the observed importance of the gene GTF2I supports the emerging consensus that variation in GTF2I genotypes and expression have important consequences for social behavior broadly.

Roles and usages of neuro service dogs for caregivers living at home with persons with dementia: An exploratory comparative case study.

The goal of the present study was to examine how canine assistance may support family caregivers and persons with dementia and to document and compare two modalities of home care support. An exploratory comparative case study research design was conducted. Three cases correspond of dyads of a caregiver, a person with mild to moderate dementia, and either a neuro service dog (NSD), a companion dog or no dog. Hypotheses are formulated to capture differences between cases. Recruitment was done in a service dog organisation, through Canadian Alzheimer associations and in records of a hospital. Data were collected through 45-60 minutes telephone interviews that included completion of the Caregiver's Burden Scale and sociodemographic questions. We used an inductive approach with qualitative data. There were five caregivers (mean age 54.8 years) who had an NSD, 28 caregivers (63.6 years) who had a companion dog, and 23 caregivers (63.8 years) without dog. In the category of roles and usages of the dog, 'Socialisation' and 'Help with a sense of direction' were the most addressed roles for dyads with the NSD. For dyads with companion dog and without dog, 'Engagement-and-meaning of life' as well as 'Physical activity with the dog' were the most discussed roles. The 'Sleep or wake up' role was the least discussed role across three cases. In the other categories, they were seven advantages and 10 inconvenients that were mentioned for canine assistance. For home care support, the presence of NSD has more positive impacts on both the person with dementia and their caregiver compared to the presence of a companion dog; the presence of a NSD results in the person with dementia accessing more indoor and outdoor public sites than with a companion dog; and dyads with a dog are informally socially engaged more frequently than those with no dog.

Validation of Size Guides for Fitting Molar Bands to Stainless Steel Crowned Primary Molars.

Purpose: To create and validate size guides for fitting Denovo® plain molar bands and bands with tubes to 3M™ ESPE™ stainless steel crowned primary molars. Methods: Two size guides were created for fitting these bands to corresponding crown sizes, with an additional pre-existing guide available for comparison. Eight volunteer dentists chose their best-fit band sizes for stainless steel crowned typodont teeth, with each seeing a subset of clinical conditions as determined by a randomized factorial experiment. Comparisons of dentists' best fits and each guide individually were evaluated for over 96 fits for robustness of clinical condition in an analysis of variance and agreement using intraclass correlation. Savings in attempted fits using size guides were estimated. Results: No significant differences over clinical conditions were observed when evalua- ting size guides and dentists' best fits. Intraclass correlations between plain band, plain band with tubes, and the pre-existing plain band with tubes guides and observed fits were 0.997, 0.998 and 0.998, respectively, with corresponding expected savings of 1.1, 0.7 and 0.5 attempts per fit, respectively. Conclusion: Size guides created for fitting plain bands and bands with tubes to stainless steel crowned primary molars were validated by volunteer dentists and showed promise for decreasing waste and increasing efficiency during dental visits.).

Neuro Service Dogs Impacts on Community-Dwelling Persons with Mild to Moderate Dementia and Their Caregiver.

Since there were no research data on the use of neuro service dogs (NSD) in 2018, a comparative case study research design was done. The cases comprised of a caregiver with a person with mild to moderate dementia, and either an NSD (n=5), a companion dog (n=28), or no dog (n=23). Monitor activity and online questionnaires were administrated. Interesting qualitative data on the roles of a NSD, advantages and inconvenients were fully described and published. Quantitative data could not confirm that NSD is benefit-cost, neither that it increases quality of sleep or level of exercise, compared to companion dogs.

Heart rate during sleep in PTSD patients: Moderation by contact with a service dog.

There is growing interest in the potential health benefits of dog ownership in both the lay and scientific communities. Large reductions in risk for cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in dog owners relative to non-owners have been observed in epidemiological samples. Persons diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder exhibit elevated risk for cardiovascular disease. The current study tested a sample of 45 U.S. military veterans with deployment-related posttraumatic stress disorder employing an intensive, longitudinal, within-subjects design contrasting sleep heart rate on nights with and without a service dog. As participants were engaged in residential psychiatric treatment, sleep opportunities, waking activities, meals, and medications, were consistently scheduled. The primary recording methodology, mattress actigraphy, enabled passive quantification of heart rate over a total sample of 1097 nights. Service dog contact was associated with reduced sleep heart rate especially in participants with more severe PTSD. Longer-term longitudinal studies will be needed to assess the durability and asymptotic magnitude of this effect. An unexpected effect of nights in study was associated with increased heart rate consistent with hospitalization-associated deconditioning.

Are we seeing the unseen of human trafficking? A retrospective analysis of the CTDC k-anonymized global victim of trafficking data pool in the period 2010-2020.

BACKGROUND: Human trafficking is considered a hidden global crime with unsubstantiated numbers. Despite the challenges in counting or measuring this crime, reports revealed the presence of around 40.3 million victims worldwide. Human trafficking results in severe detrimental impacts on both mental and physical health. Given the sensitivity and negative consequences of human trafficking on the global system and victims, and considering the scarce research in this area, our current study aimed at describing the (i) Sociodemographic profiles of anonymized victims, (ii) Means of control, and (iii) Purpose of trafficking, utilizing the largest anonymized and publicly available dataset on victims of human trafficking. METHODS: This is a retrospective secondary analysis of the Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative (CTDC) data pool in the period from 2010 to 2020. The utilized dataset is called the k-anonymized global victim of trafficking dataset, and it is considered the largest global dataset on victims of human trafficking. Data from the k-anonymized data pool were extracted and exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences, SPSS® version 27.0 for Windows (IBM Corp. Version 27.0. Armonk, NY) for quality check and analysis using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: A total of 87003 victims of human trafficking were identified in the period from 2010 to 2020. The most age category encountered among victims was 9-17 years with 10326 victims (11.9%), followed by 30-38 years with 8562 victims (9.8%). Females comprised 70% of the sample with 60938 victims. The United States (n = 51611), Russia (n = 4570), and the Philippines (n = 1988) comprised the most countries of exploitation/trafficking. Additionally, the year 2019 witnessed the greatest number of victims registered for assistance by anti-trafficking agencies with around 21312 victims (24.5%). Concerning means of control, threats, psychological abuse, restriction of the victim's movement, taking the victim's earnings, and physical abuse were the most reported means. 42685 victims (49.1%) reported sexual exploitation as the purpose of their trafficking, followed by forced labor with 18176 victims (20.9%). CONCLUSION: Various means and methods can be used by traffickers to control the victims to be trafficked for many purposes, with sexual exploitation and forced labor being the most common ones. Global anti-trafficking efforts should be brought together in solidarity through utilizing the paradigm of protection of victims, prosecution of traffickers, prevention of trafficking, and inter-sectoral partnerships. Despite being a global concern with various reports that tried to capture the number of trafficked victims worldwide, human trafficking still has many unseen aspects that impose a significant challenge and adds to the global burden in combatting this threat.

Assistance dogs help reduce mental health symptoms among Australian Defence Force veterans and emergency services personnel: A pilot study.

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness of two specialized Australian PTSD assistance dog programs in reducing PTSD and mental health symptoms over a one-year period. A total of 44 participants who were partnered with an assistance dog were analysed. Using an intent to treat analysis, compared to the baseline measures, all mental health outcomes exhibited statistically significant reductions in scores at the 3-month follow-up, and persisted at the 6-month, and 12-month follow-up. When comparing baseline to 3-month follow-up the effect size (Cohen's d) was strongest for stress (d = 0.993), followed by PTSD (d = 0.892), anxiety (d = 0.837). Analyses among those who also completed the waitlist-baseline assessment (n = 23) showed slight reductions in stress and depression prior to receiving their dog (whilst waiting for their dog). However, larger reductions were yielded across all mental health measures when comparing waitlist-baseline to 3-month follow-up.

Effectiveness of Operation K9 Assistance Dogs on Suicidality in Australian Veterans with PTSD: A 12-Month Mixed-Methods Follow-Up Study.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a pervasive disorder among both current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) members. Studies have shown current psychological and pharmacological treatments for PTSD are suboptimal in veterans, with high dropout rates and poor adherence to treatment protocols. Therefore, evaluating complementary interventions, such as assistance dogs, is needed for veterans who may not receive the ultimate benefit from traditional therapies. The present longitudinal mixed-method study examined the effectiveness of Operation K9 assistance dogs among sixteen veterans with PTSD, specifically, their effects on suicidality, PTSD, depression, and anxiety from baseline to 12 months post-matching. Self-reported measures were completed prior to receiving their dog (baseline) and at three time points (3, 6, and 12 months) following matching. The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 was used to assess the severity of every PTSD case. Veterans participated in a semi-structured interview 3 months post-matching. Whilst there was a reduction in the proportion of veterans reporting any suicidality, there was no significant change in the probability of veterans reporting suicidality between time points. There was a significant effect of time on PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms. Three major themes emerged from qualitative data analysis: life changer, constant companion, and social engagement. Qualitative data suggest assistance dogs can have a positive impact on important areas of daily life and support veterans in achieving some of the prerequisites for health, including access to services, transport, education, employment, and development of new and diverse social and community connections. Connections were key in improving health and wellbeing. This study exemplifies the power of human-animal relationships and adds emphasis to the need to take these seriously and create supportive healthy environments for veterans with PTSD. Our findings could be used to inform public health policy and service delivery, in line with the Ottawa Charter action areas and indicate that for veterans with PTSD, assistance dogs may be a feasible adjunct intervention.

Contribuições de animais na clínica: um estudo em psicologia analítica / Contributions of animals in the clinic: a study in analytical psychology / Contribuciones de animales en la clínica: un estudio en psicología analítica

O presente trabalho busca compreender a presença de animais em consultório clínico como colaboradores do processo psicoterapêutico dos pacientes. O levantamento bibliográfico realizado indicou que os animais auxiliam o estabelecimento do vínculo entre paciente e psicólogo, especialmente no caso de crianças. A fim de atingir o objetivo proposto, realizaram-se entrevistas semidirigidas com cinco psicólogas que atendem em consultório particular com a presença de animais, de forma online ou presencial, sob a perspectiva da psicologia analítica. As entrevistas foram analisadas a partir desta abordagem e os resultados obtidos demonstraram que a presença de animais promove: alterações do espaço terapêutico, relação de vínculo entre paciente e terapeuta e criação de suporte emocional durante as sessões, tanto aos psicólogos quanto aos pacientes. Dessa forma, a pesquisa concluiu que animais podem ser ferramentas valiosas a serem utilizadas no setting terapêutico.

The present work seeks to understand the presence of animals in clinical practices as collaborators in the psychotherapeutic process of patients. The bibliographical survey indicated that animals help to establish the bond between patient and psychologist, especially in the case of children. In order to achieve the proposed objective, semi-directed interviews were conducted with five psychologists who work in private practice with the presence of animals, online or in person, from the perspective of analytical psychology. The interviews were analyzed based on the same approach and the results obtained showed that the presence of animals promotes: changes in the therapeutic space, bonding relationship between patient and therapist and creation of emotional support during the sessions, both for psychologists and patients. Thus, the research concluded that animals can be valuable tools to be used in the therapeutic setting.

El presente trabajo busca comprender la presencia de animales en el consultorio clínico como colaboradores del proceso psicoterapéutico de los pacientes. El estudio bibliográfico realizado indicó que los animales ayudan al establecimiento del vínculo entre paciente y psicólogo, especialmente en el caso de niños. Con el fin de alcanzar el objetivo propuesto, se realizaron entrevistas semidirigidas con cinco psicólogas que atienden en consulta privada con la presencia de animales, de forma online o presencial, desde la perspectiva de la psicología analítica. Las entrevistas fueron analizadas desde este enfoque y los resultados obtenidos mostraron que la presencia de animales promueve: cambios en el espacio terapéutico, relación vincular entre paciente y terapeuta y creación de apoyo emocional durante las sesiones, tanto para los psicólogos como para los pacientes. De esta forma, la investigación concluyó que los animales pueden ser herramientas valiosas para ser utilizadas en el ámbito terapéutico. Las entrevistas fueron analizadas a partir de este abordaje y los resultados obtenidos demostraron que la presencia de animales promueve: alteraciones en el espacio terapéutico, relación de vínculo entre paciente y terapeuta y creación de soporte emocional durante las sesiones, tanto a los psicólogos como a los pacientes. De esta forma, la investigación concluyó que los animales pueden ser herramientas valiosas a ser utilizadas en el setting terapéutico.

Therapeutic and Economic Benefits of Service Dogs Versus Emotional Support Dogs for Veterans With PTSD.

OBJECTIVE: This work aimed to assess the therapeutic and economic benefits of service dogs versus emotional support dogs for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHODS: Veterans with PTSD (N=227) participating in a multicenter trial were randomly assigned to receive a service or emotional support dog; 181 veterans received a dog and were followed up for 18 months. Primary outcomes included overall functioning (assessed with World Health Organization Disability Assessment Scale II [WHODAS 2.0]) and quality of life (Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey [VR-12]). Secondary outcomes included PTSD symptoms (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5), suicidal ideation, depression, sleep quality, health care costs and utilization, medication adherence, employment, and productivity. RESULTS: Participants paired with a dog had a mean±SD age of 50.6±13.6 years (range 22-79), and most were male (80%), White (66%), and non-Hispanic (91%). Adjusted linear mixed repeated-measures models indicated no difference between the two groups on WHODAS 2.0 or VR-12 scores. Participants with service dogs had a 3.7-point greater reduction in PTSD symptoms versus participants with emotional support dogs (p=0.036). No reduced health care utilization or cost was associated with receiving a service dog. Veterans with service dogs had an increase of 10 percentage points in antidepressant adherence compared with those with emotional support dogs (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Both groups appeared to benefit from having a service or emotional support dog. No significant differences in improved functioning or quality of life were observed between the groups. Those in the service dog group had a greater reduction in PTSD symptoms and better antidepressant adherence, improvements that should be explored further.

Retrospective Examination of Service Dog Training Program Participation and Mental Healthcare Utilization.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between Service Dog Training Program (SDTP) participation and mental health care utilization. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Outpatient rehabilitation clinic at a large military treatment facility. PARTICIPANTS: Military Health System beneficiaries who attended at least 1 SDTP session at a large military treatment facility (N=597). SDTP program enrollment records identified participants. INTERVENTION: The SDTP, a unique application of animal-assisted therapy, is intended to improve the mental and cognitive health for individuals with war-related trauma. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Negative binomial regression calculated the associations between the SDTP participation rate and 2 mental health care utilization outcomes: mental health encounter days and psychotropic medication months' supply. RESULTS: Most of the 597 participants were male, enlisted service members, and aged 25-34 years. Approximately 46% had a posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis, 21% had a traumatic brain injury diagnosis, 47% had an opioid prescription, and 58% had a sleep aid prescription pre-SDTP participation. Participation was categorized into low (≤1 sessions), medium (>1 and ≤2 sessions), and high (>2 sessions) monthly participation. In adjusted analysis, high monthly SDTP participation was associated with 18% fewer post-SDTP mental health encounter days (rate ratio [RR], 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68-0.96) than low monthly SDTP participation. High monthly SDTP participation was also associated with a 22% fewer post-SDTP psychotropic prescription months' supply (RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.64-0.95) than low monthly SDTP participation in adjusted analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that participants who attend more than 2 SDTP sessions monthly encounter mental health care differently post SDTP than participants who attended 1 or fewer monthly sessions. Adjunct therapies, such as the SDTP, may offer patients a nonstigmatizing way to engage in mental health care.

Seeing Is Believing: Using Eye-Tracking Devices in Environmental Research.

OBJECTIVES: This article aims to provide methodological guidance for research that uses eye-tracking devices (ETDs) to study environment and behavior relationships. BACKGROUND: Vision is an important human sense through which people acquire a large amount of environmental information. ETDs are tools for detecting eye/gaze behaviors, facilitating better understanding about how people collect visual information and how such information is related to emotions and psychological states. However, there is a lack of guidance for the application of ETDs to environment and behavior studies. METHODS: A literature review was conducted on articles reporting empirical studies that used ETDs. The data were extracted and compiled, including information such as research questions, research design, types of ETDs, variables measured, types of physical environment (or visual stimuli), stimuli durations, data analysis methods, and so on. RESULTS: Fifty articles were identified. The main research topics were related to urban and landscape environments, and architecture and interior spaces. Most of the research designs were experimental or quasi-experimental designs, with a few cross-sectional studies. The majority types of ETDs were screen-based ETDs, followed by mobile ETDs (glasses). Main variables were gaze fixations, fixation durations, and scan paths. Typical types of stimuli included images, videos, virtual reality, and real environments and/or objects. CONCLUSIONS: Guidance for eye-tracking research on environment and behavior was developed based on the literature review results, to provide direction for determining research questions, selecting appropriate research designs, establishing participant inclusion and/or excluding criteria, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting research results.