TY - JOUR
T1 - Cognitive Exercise for Persons with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Using a Social Robot
AU - Yuan, Fengpei
AU - Boltz, Marie
AU - Bilal, Dania
AU - Jao, Ying Ling
AU - Crane, Monica
AU - Duzan, Joshua
AU - Bahour, Abdurhman
AU - Zhao, Xiaopeng
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2004-2012 IEEE.
PY - 2023/8/1
Y1 - 2023/8/1
N2 - Reminiscence therapy (RT) can improve the mood and communication of persons living with Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's-disease-related dementias (PLWD). Traditional RT requires professionals' facilitation, limiting its accessibility to PLWD. Social robotics has the potential to facilitate RT, enabling accessible home-based RT. However, studies are needed to investigate how PLWD would perceive a robot-mediated reminiscence therapy (RMRT) and how to develop RMRT for positive user experience and successful adoption. In this article, we develop a prototype of RMRT using a humanoid social robot and test it with 12 participants (seven PLWD, two with mild cognitive impairment, and three informal caregivers). The robot automatically displays a memory trigger on its tablet and engages participants in a relatable conversation during RMRT. A mixed-method approach is employed to assess its acceptability and usability. Our results show that PLWD have an overall positive user experience with the RMRT. Participants laugh and sing along with the robot during RMRT and demonstrate intention to use it. In addition, we discuss a robot control method and several critical problems for RMRT. The RMRT can facilitate both verbal and nonverbal social interaction for PLWD and holds promise for engaging, personalized, and efficient home-based cognitive exercises for PLWD.
AB - Reminiscence therapy (RT) can improve the mood and communication of persons living with Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's-disease-related dementias (PLWD). Traditional RT requires professionals' facilitation, limiting its accessibility to PLWD. Social robotics has the potential to facilitate RT, enabling accessible home-based RT. However, studies are needed to investigate how PLWD would perceive a robot-mediated reminiscence therapy (RMRT) and how to develop RMRT for positive user experience and successful adoption. In this article, we develop a prototype of RMRT using a humanoid social robot and test it with 12 participants (seven PLWD, two with mild cognitive impairment, and three informal caregivers). The robot automatically displays a memory trigger on its tablet and engages participants in a relatable conversation during RMRT. A mixed-method approach is employed to assess its acceptability and usability. Our results show that PLWD have an overall positive user experience with the RMRT. Participants laugh and sing along with the robot during RMRT and demonstrate intention to use it. In addition, we discuss a robot control method and several critical problems for RMRT. The RMRT can facilitate both verbal and nonverbal social interaction for PLWD and holds promise for engaging, personalized, and efficient home-based cognitive exercises for PLWD.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85161021780&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85161021780&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/TRO.2023.3272846
DO - 10.1109/TRO.2023.3272846
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85161021780
SN - 1552-3098
VL - 39
SP - 3332
EP - 3346
JO - IEEE Transactions on Robotics
JF - IEEE Transactions on Robotics
IS - 4
ER -