bottle nose dolphins turned out to help treat therapy for some types of diseases. Among them, stroke, autism, cancer, even down to down syndrome or severe depression. How it feels treated by dolphins? Can be fear or amusement.
It turns out that dolphins known as mammals of human companions can help the treatment of therapies for the type of disease that has no cure, Head of Marine Technology Research Center of the Department of Marine and Fisheries (DKP), Aryo Hanggono, stated that the current team of researchers from five fields of science , namely marine biology, veterinary medicine, psychology, medicine, and acoustics are conducting research on dolphins that aid therapeutic treatment for some patients housed in one of the hotels in Bali.
"We are trying to find a scientific explanation for why dolphins can help the treatment," he said.
Research that started since 3 - 4 months ago this, he said, did show positive results. The evidence on a test against one of the Balinese community leaders who suffered a paralyzed stroke showed improvement. When before foot therapy can not be moved, but after undergoing therapy finally legs can be moved, even now the patient was able to walk. The first duration of therapy for stroke patients is 10 days and completed by the end of 2007 yesterday. But in early 2008, the stroke patient therapy was resumed. In fact, the aged patient is now beginning to walk again.
"The dolphins have the ability to do good therapy through totokan, fine bites, flicking the body, and sound waves from these fish," he explained.
In addition, the test also performed to one of the patients who have cancer. For cancer patients today the therapy has been running for a week. Aryo said, explanation about the procedure of dolphins provide therapy is rather unique. Namely, a patient who will undergo therapy should go swimming with dolphins. Patients by using a buoy to take a swim in a pool of sea water where the dolphins are located.
For the first stage, it is usually the stage of adaptation where dolphins are just circling the patients floating in the pond. Only the next stage, the dolphin will show a reaction and try to communicate with patients. Start totokan in feet, body, head, soft bite, even the body flick. Uniquely, the body of the patient who ditotok or touched by the dolphins that each day is different, so it looks systematic. As if the usual fish trained for this game attraction knows where the nerves of patients who are sick.
"It's not an alternative treatment, it's just a complement, so the medical treatment is still going, and the dolphin therapy is also a path," he said.
Research on the potential of dolphins as this therapy will indeed continue to be developed. In fact, he said, the research program in 2008 is prioritized to know the spectrum pattern of dolphin sound waves for treatment. Namely the pattern of how large the frequency spectrum of sound waves from the dolphins was for therapy based on the type of disease the patient. Because, from the recording sonar frequency of sound waves there are different for each type of disease.
For that the researchers intend to know the pattern. "Because the spectrum of sound waves issued by these fish shows different patterns for different types of diseases, this is what we are still learning," he explained.
In the medical world, so far there is the assumption that dolphins can help therapy. But it is only a belief, and there is no scientific proof. Even the United States is also researching this fish seriously directly handled by the country's Uncle Sam's navy. Of course, the dolphins for the circus and the different ways of training them.
According Aryo, dolphins that can be trained to perform therapy is a male type. If scientific research on fish is successful, then it will be very potential for the world of medicine in Indonesia. Because the sea in Indonesia is abundant dolphin species of bottle nose. But of course the way of his arrest will encounter difficulties. Especially if the captured female dolphins for bred. Because usually the behavior of fish in this group, females are usually protected by many male dolphins.
"We are planning to capture four dolphins this year, and then we will research and reproduce at our research center in Bali," he said.
DKP Bioaccustics Researcher, Agus Cahyadi stated that the focus of this 2008 research is not only done continuation of therapy but also comparation with result of medical treatment. So that is done medical proof of result of therapy conducted by patient of research subject. In addition, spectrum spectrum analysis of sound waves emitted by dolphins per treatment treatment. Namely how big sound waves are issued if for the body or head of the patient.
However, Agus claimed could not solve the secret why the dolphins can understand the sick body of the patient so do the treatment there. "We are still in the study of why the dolphins seem to know where the body parts of sick patients, they are looking for themselves and there is no directing," he said.
The evidence according to him, bottle nose dolphin or tursiops truncactus that can work well. During 10 times therapy given to 13 children with autism. For this study, the DKP team involved Australian, Japanese and Indonesian psychologists to analyze the patient's mental development.
Agus explained through 10 times therapy in people with autism, of the 8 criteria assessed, 3 of which showed satisfactory results. Namely, related emotions, eye contact, and tranquility. "Five other criteria, namely agility, motor, relaxation, focus, and attention have not shown results," he said.
For the treatment process, adaptation usually takes 1 day. Then the next stage, researchers collect a series of dolphin voice transmission recorded through hydrophon. After bioacoustic analysis, in every 30 minutes there is optimum acoustic wave spectrum. Bioacoustic, a science that studies the sounds in water, both transmitted and received.
"We have to confirm with these potential medical potentials against stroke patients, but this therapy will be developed for cancer healing methods," he said.