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The effectiveness of seal-like robot therapy on mood and social interactions of older adults: a systematic review protocol
... In May 2022, the US FDA authorized the use of Lumipulse G beta-Amyloid Ratio (1-42/1-40) in vitro diagnostic test for the assessment of beta-amyloid pathology in CSF samples [268]. The ratio of these two proteins in CSF is indicative of the presence of amyloid plaques. ...
... These biomarkers are measured in CSF, which is the clear fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, providing protection and insulation. In May 2022, the US FDA authorized the use of Lumipulse G beta-Amyloid Ratio (1-42/1-40) in vitro diagnostic test for the assessment of beta-amyloid pathology in CSF samples [268]. The ratio of these two proteins in CSF is indicative of the presence of amyloid plaques. ...
... Furthermore, the application of ML and AI approaches to AD research data, can lead to novel hypotheses regarding efficient interventions for AD patients [376]. AI can also aid in the diagnosis of the early stage of dementia [268]. ...
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a polygenic multifactorial neurodegenerative disease that, after decades of research and development, is still without a cure. There are some symptomatic treatments to manage the psychological symptoms but none of these drugs can halt disease progression. Additionally, over the last few years, many anti-AD drugs failed in late stages of clinical trials and many hypotheses surfaced to explain these failures, including the lack of clear understanding of disease pathways and processes. Recently, different epigenetic factors have been implicated in AD pathogenesis; thus, they could serve as promising AD diagnostic biomarkers. Additionally, network biology approaches have been suggested as effective tools to study AD on the systems level and discover multi-target-directed ligands as novel treatments for AD. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review on Alzheimer’s disease pathophysiology to provide a better understanding of disease pathogenesis hypotheses and decipher the role of genetic and epigenetic factors in disease development and progression. We also provide an overview of disease biomarkers and drug targets and suggest network biology approaches as new tools for identifying novel biomarkers and drugs. We also posit that the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence to mining Alzheimer’s disease multi-omics data will facilitate drug and biomarker discovery efforts and lead to effective individualized anti-Alzheimer treatments.
... Many industries, ranging from medical to banking, are exploring methods to incorporate blockchain technology into their infrastructures. Blockchain technology, under its decentralized and trustless character, has the potential to open up new avenues for company growth while also enhancing transparency, increasing security, and simplifying traceability [18]. Blockchain and finance are just the beginning of what is possible. ...
... With the ability to perform the same purpose as traditional ledgers while being digitalized, secure, and tamper-proof, blockchains have the potential to significantly improve accuracy and information exchange in the financial services ecosystem. Credit Suisse, for example, has formed a partnership with New York-based startup Paxos to utilize blockchain technology to settle US stock transactions [18]. Meanwhile, JPMorgan Chase has launched the JPM Coin, which it plans to use to simplify transactions between institutional accounts. ...
... More generally, blockchain has the potential to disrupt the $5 trillion+ banking sector by disintermediating the fundamental services that banks offer, ranging from payments to clearing and settlement systems, among other things. Banks make a lot of money facilitating paymentscross-border transactions produced billions in payments income [18]. But blockchain technology provides a safe and inexpensive method to pay, thus eliminating the need for third-party authentication and improving backlogs with a conventional bank transfer. ...
Although a safe exchange of information, services, and technologies are possible via centralized digital organizations, there are significant concerns associated with the digital revolution. Without the users' knowledge or permission, telecommunications companies gather and absorb information that is utilized for data analysis, profiling, and exploiting purposes by third parties [1]. The continuation of service providers' centered solutions is wasteful due to duplication, it has significant security flaws, and it is burdensome for consumers. To accomplish the security and privacy of dispersed digital identities, it is necessary to authenticate and verify the digital individual's identity [1]. Nevertheless, thorough research on the elements of identity management, as well as user data protection and privacy measures in the identity management system, is still lacking in the published studies, according to the researchers [1,2]. Managing and verifying digital identities is undoubtedly among the most important applications of blockchain technology for various developments. Throughout 2018, millions of individuals all around the globe were affected by data breaches involving their personal information. It is necessary to develop more secure methods of storing, exchanging, and validating sensitive material. In this respect, developing blockchain solutions for identification systems may help address some of the issues experienced by most centralized databases.
... Approximately 70 to 80 percent of cases are caused by Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis, and substantial cognitive loss does not appear until 10-20 years after the onset of the illness. Adequate early detection techniques for Alzheimer's and other dementias will be required [18]. The sooner individuals are recruited, the better the odds of success in medication studies and risk factor reduction. ...
... However, specialist brain scans and bodily fluid indicators are too intrusive or costly for general usage. As technology advances, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is showing promising results in helping in the diagnosis of early-stage dementia [18]. Current AI-aided techniques and future research areas are addressed. ...
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has a tremendous great potential to enhance the healthcare and quality of life of people with Alzheimer's disease and its associated dementias (ADRD). So far, there has been a dearth of comprehensive literature assessments of the impact of AI on ADRD care [1]. This paper is designed to explore and evaluate AI impacts and that offer knowledge to help ADRD caregivers manage ADRDs. Improving our perspective of Alzheimer's disease outside health care may be seen as being akin to physical and intellectual impairments, which affect every aspect of a human being's life. Using this perspective as a starting point, policies are required to ensure that individuals with dementia and their caregivers have access to equipment, services, and other resources that will help them live as independently as possible. This facilitates the establishment of direct technology, funding streams, the provision of maintenance and monitoring support, the provision of new digital technologies programs for people with the disease, scientific resources, the utilization of data analytics to predict patterns of need, and the proactive identification of people who are at risk [1]. A range of ethical concerns, such as privacy, identity management, access and use, liabilities, rights, obligations, and interactions (including data sharing), between private companies and legal authorities, also need to be resolved to support technology-friendly prevention and care measures.
... Robots fluctuate between service robots that support older people to perform daily activities and robots that act as social companions. Robotics is mainly applied in systems addressing mental health conditions since it has an impact on emotional, physiological, and social health [44]. ...
... The system collected data from multimodal sensors, used a machine learning algorithm for activity recognition, and applied an experimental protocol for validation. Table 4 consists of a group of selected ICT solutions that made a difference in the assistance of older people with cognitive impairment and other dementias as in existing works [44,56]. The ISISEMD project [110] provided a services package that allowed caregivers to remotely support older people whilst tolerating ethical rules and permitted family members to communicate and support older people with cognitive impairment and other dementias in their independent living. ...
Background:
With an aging population, it is essential to maintain good health and autonomy for as long as possible. Instead of hospitalisation or institutionalisation, older people with chronic conditions can be assisted in their own home with numerous "smart" devices that support them in their activities of daily living, manage their medical conditions, and prevent fall incidents. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions facilitate the monitoring and management of older people's health to improve quality of life and physical activity with a decline in caregivers' burden.
Method:
The aim of this paper was to conduct a systematic literature review to analyse the state of the art of ICT solutions for older people with chronic conditions, and the impact of these solutions on their quality of life from a biomedical perspective.
Results:
By analysing the literature on the available ICT proposals, it is shown that different approaches have been deployed by noticing that the more cross-interventions are merged then the better the results are, but there is still no evidence of the effects of ICT solutions on older people's health outcomes. Furthermore, there are still unresolved ethical and legal issues.
Conclusion:
While there has been much research and development in healthcare ICT solutions for the aging population, ICT solutions still need significant development in order to be user-oriented, affordable, and to manage chronic conditions in the aging wider population.
... Artificial intelligence (AI) is showing great promise in areas of health care-in precision treatments, patient education, virtual assistance, and cost reduction [11]. Some attempts have been made to apply AI for persons with ADRD and their caregivers in order to improve patients' daily functioning, quality of life, and well-being, as well as reduce caregiver burden (eg, social robots to facilitate social interaction and engagement, assistive robots to facilitate daily activities such as handwashing, tea making, or dressing) [12][13][14][15][16]. To date, however, there has been little systematic review to identify research on AI for ADRD management by caregivers and gaps that remain in our understanding of AI for ADRD management. ...
Background:
Artificial intelligence (AI) has great potential for improving the care of persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) and the quality of life of their family caregivers. To date, however, systematic review of the literature on the impact of AI on ADRD management has been lacking.
Objective:
To (1) identify and examine literature on AI that provides information to facilitate ADRD management by caregivers of individuals diagnosed with ADRD and (2) identify gaps in the literature that suggest future directions for research.
Methods:
Following PRISMA guidelines for conducting systematic literature reviews, during August and September 2019 we performed three rounds of selection. First, we searched predetermined keywords in PubMed, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, PsycINFO, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, and the ACM Digital Library. This step generated 113 non-duplicate results. Next, we screened the titles and abstracts of the 113 articles according to inclusion/exclusion criteria: 52 articles were excluded; 61 remained. Finally, we screened the full text of the remaining articles to ensure that they met the inclusion/exclusion criteria; 31 articles were excluded, leaving a final sample of 30 articles for analysis.
Results:
Of the 30 articles, 20 reported studies that focused on using AI to assist in activities of daily living. A limited number of specific daily activities were targeted. The studies' aims suggested three major purposes: (1) to test the feasibility, usability, and/or perceptions of prototype AI technology, (2) to generate preliminary data on the technology's performance (primarily accuracy in detecting target events, such as falls), and (3) to understand user needs and preferences for the design and functionality of to-be-developed technology. The majority of the studies were qualitative, with interviews, focus groups, and observation being their most common methods. Cross-sectional surveys were also common, but with small convenience samples. Sample sizes ranged from 6 to 106, with the vast majority on the low end. The majority of the studies were descriptive, exploratory, and lacking theoretical guidance. Many studies reported positive outcomes in favor of their AI technology's feasibility and satisfaction; some studies reported mixed results on these measures. Performance of the technology varied widely across tasks.
Conclusions:
These findings call for more systematic designs and evaluations of the feasibility and efficacy of AI-based interventions for ADRD caregivers. These gaps in the research would be best addressed through interdisciplinary collaboration, incorporating complementary expertise from the health sciences and computer science/engineering-related fields.
... Av beskrivende forskning rapporterer en observasjonsstudie at selroboten stimulerte deltakerne til minnesamtaler om kjaeledyr (Klein & Cook, 2012). Flere studier beskriver økt sosial kontakt mellom deltakerne (Chang & Sung, 2013;Klein & Cook, 2012;Robinson, Broadbent, & MacDonald, 2015a;Sung, Chang, Chin, & Lee, 2015). Flere oversiktsstudier av intervensjoner med robotdyr påpeker derimot at enkeltstudier mangler effektbeskrivelser og at de generelt har metodiske svakheter. ...
Sykehjemsbeboere med en demenssykdom som er preget av atferdsendringer, anbefales å bli behandlet med skreddersydde og aktivitetsrettede tiltak i stedet for behandling med psykofarmaka. I denne artikkelen diskuteres hvordan en nyere aktivitetsform, systematisk interaksjon med selroboten Paro, kan være et helsefremmende tiltak for slike sykehjemsbeboere. Artikkelens empiri er hentet fra tre publiserte vitenskapelige artikler fra en intervensjonsstudie med Paro. Studiens funn belyses gjennom en teoretisk modell som beskriver hvordan engasjement utvikles gjennom deltakelse i tilrettelagte miljøtiltak. Modellen belyser hvordan flere kvaliteter i aktivitetens innhold spilte sammen for å utvikle engasjement. Artikkelen diskuterer hvordan effekter på redusert forekomst av agitert atferd og depresjon kan knyttes til selve aktiviteten, og hvordan deltakelse i aktiviteten kan ha påvirket deltakernes følelser og atferd. Artikkelen konkluderer med at de positive funnene fra studien viser hvordan Paro kan være en skreddersydd og tilrettelagt aktivitet for de som liker Paro, og slik sett være et helsefremmende tiltak. Nøkkelord Demens, miljøtiltak, intervensjon, paro, engasjement, sykehjem
Background
Social isolation and loneliness are more common in older adults and are associated with a serious impact on their well‐being, mental health, physical health, and longevity. They are a public health concern highlighted by the COVID‐19 pandemic restrictions, hence the need for digital technology tools to enable remotely delivered interventions to alleviate the impact of social isolation and loneliness during the COVID‐19 restrictions.
Objectives
To map available evidence on the effects of digital interventions to mitigate social isolation and/or loneliness in older adults in all settings except hospital settings.
Search Methods
We searched the following databases from inception to May 16, 2021, with no language restrictions. Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycInfo via Ovid, CINAHL via EBSCO, Web of Science via Clarivate, ProQuest (all databases), International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS) via ProQuest, EBSCO (all databases except CINAHL), Global Index Medicus, and Epistemonikos.
Selection Criteria
Titles and abstracts and full text of potentially eligible articles were independently screened in duplicate following the eligibility criteria.
Data Collection and Analysis
We developed and pilot tested a data extraction code set in Eppi‐Reviewer and data were individually extracted and coded based on an intervention‐outcome framework which was also used to define the dimensions of the evidence and gap map.
Main Results
We included 200 articles (103 primary studies and 97 systematic reviews) that assessed the effects of digital interventions to reduce social isolation and/or loneliness in older adults. Most of the systematic reviews (72%) were classified as critically low quality, only 2% as high quality and 25% were published since the COVID‐19 pandemic. The evidence is unevenly distributed with clusters predominantly in high‐income countries and none in low‐income countries. The most common interventions identified are digital interventions to enhance social interactions with family and friends and the community via videoconferencing and telephone calls. Digital interventions to enhance social support, particularly socially assistive robots, and virtual pets were also common. Most interventions focused on reducing loneliness and depression and improving quality of life of older adults. Major gaps were identified in community level outcomes and process indicators. No included studies or reviews assessed affordability or digital divide although the value of accessibility and barriers caused by digital divide were discussed in three primary studies and three reviews. Adverse effects were reported in only two studies and six reviews. No study or review included participants from the LGBTQIA2S+ community and only one study restricted participants to 80 years and older. Very few described how at‐risk populations were recruited or conducted any equity analysis to assess differences in effects for populations experiencing inequities across PROGRESS‐Plus categories.
Authors' Conclusions
The restrictions placed on people during the pandemic have shone a spotlight onto social isolation and loneliness, particularly for older adults. This evidence and gap map shows available evidence on the effectiveness of digital interventions for reducing social isolation or loneliness in older adults. Although the evidence is relatively large and recent, it is unevenly distributed and there is need for more high‐quality research. This map can guide researchers and funders to consider areas of major gaps as priorities for further research.
Objective:
To evaluate the effectiveness of a therapeutic robot, 'Paro', on anxiety, agitation, depression, apathy, medication use, total sleep time, and sociability among older adults with dementia.
Design:
Systematic review and meta-analysis with narrative synthesis.
Setting and participants:
Older adults aged 60 years and above with any form of dementia in the community, nursing homes, or care facilities.
Methods:
A three-step search strategy was conducted by two independent reviewers. Nine databases were searched (January 2003 to November 2022). Randomised controlled, crossover, and cluster trials on Paro for older adults with dementia published in English were included. All relevant trials were screened and assessed for risk of bias. Data were extracted using the Cochrane data collection form. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to assess the quality of evidence.
Results:
In total, 12 articles involving 1461 participants were included. Results of the meta-analysis showed that Paro had a moderate effect on medication use (SMD: -0.63) and small effect on anxiety (SMD: -0.17), agitation (SMD: -0.27) and depression (SMD: -0.40). However, Paro exhibited negligible effect on total sleep time (SMD: -0.12). The overall quality of evidence for all outcomes were graded as low due to methodological limitations, small sample size, and wide confidence intervals. Narrative synthesis suggested that Paro reduced apathy and increase sociability.
Conclusion and implications:
Paro could be a beneficial non-pharmacological approach to improve behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, reducing medication use, and increasing sociability for older adults with dementia. However, the results should be interpreted with caution as limited studies were available. Additionally, there were a variety of approaches across the studies (i.e. group and individual interventions, facilitated and non-facilitated) which made it difficult to determine which interventional approach is optimal to produce beneficial effects of Paro. Hence, more rigorous studies with a larger sample size are needed to fully understand the mechanism and effectiveness of Paro in older adults with dementia. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022296504).
Within the field of human-robot interaction (HRI), robots designed for social interactions are not only evaluated in terms of efficiency and accuracy. Factors related to the “personality” or “cognitive” ability of the robot such as perceived likability and intelligence are important considerations because they must engage with their human counterparts in deeper, more authentic and sometimes creative ways. Interactive art allows for the exploration of such interactions, however, the study of robots in interactive art remains relatively less commonplace and evaluations of these robots in creative contexts are similarly lacking. In this paper, we present an interactive robot inspired by Norman White’s The Helpless Robot (1987), which has been endowed with a cognitive bias known as the Dunning-Kruger effect and the ability to collaborate with participants in a creative drawing task. We evaluate the participants’ interactions with both biased and unbiased versions of this robot using the Godspeed Questionnaire Series (GQS), which has been modified to include measures of creativity, and relate these findings to analyses of their collaborative drawings. Our results indicate a significant difference between the versions of the robot for several measures in the GQS, with the unbiased version rated more positively than the biased robot in all cases. Analysis of the drawings suggests that participants interacting with the biased robot were less inclined to collaborate in a cooperative manner.
Assistive social robots, a particular type of assistive robotics designed for social interaction with humans, could play an important role with respect to the health and psycho-logical well-being of the elderly. Objectives Assistive social robots are believed to be useful in eldercare for two reasons, a functional one and an affective one. Such robots are developed to function as an interface for the elderly with digital technology, and to help increase the quality of life of the elderly by providing companionship, respectively. There is a growing attention for these devices in the literature. However, no comprehensive review has yet been performed to in-vestigate the effectiveness of such robots in the care of the elderly. Therefore, we systematically reviewed and analyzed existing literature on the effects of assistive social robots in health care for the elderly. We focused in particular on the com-panion function. Data Sources A systematic search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, Psy-cINFO, The Cochrane Library databases, IEEE, ACM libraries and finally Google Scholar was performed for records through December 2007 to identify articles of all studies with actual subjects aimed to assess the effects of assistive social robots on the elderly. This search was completed with information derived from personal expertise, contacts and reports. Study Selection and Data Extraction Since no randomized controlled trials (RCT)'s have been found within this field of research, all studies reporting effects of assistive robotics in elderly popula-tions were included. Information on study design, interventions, controls, and findings were extracted for each article. In medical journals only a few articles were found, whereas about 50 publications were found in literature on ICT and robotics. Data Synthesis The identified studies were all published after 2000 in-dicating the novelty of this area of research. Most of these publications contain the results of studies that report positive effects of assistive social robots on health and psychological well-being of elders. Solid evidence indicating that these ef-fects can indeed be attributed to the actual assistive social robot, its behavior and its functionality is scarce. Conclusions There is some qualitative evidence as well as limited quantitative evidence of the positive effects of assistive social robots with respect to the elderly. The research designs, however, are not robust enough to establish this. Confounding variables often cannot be excluded. This is partly due to the chosen research designs, but also because it is unclear what research methodology is adequate to investigate such effects. Therefore, more work on methods is needed as well as robust, large-scale studies to establish the effects of these devices. Assistive social robots in elderly care: a review G8(2)Review-Broekens-v4.indd 1 29-5-2009 10:52:03
The aim of this study was to establish the relative safety and balance of risks for antidepressant treatment in older people. The study objectives were to (1) determine relative and absolute risks of predefined adverse events in older people with depression, comparing classes of antidepressant drugs [tricyclic and related antidepressants (TCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and other antidepressants] and commonly prescribed individual drugs with non-use of antidepressant drugs; (2) directly compare the risk of adverse events for SSRIs with TCAs; (3) determine associations with dose and duration of antidepressant medication; (4) describe patterns of antidepressant use in older people with depression; and (5) estimate costs of antidepressant medication and primary care visits.
A cohort study of patients aged 65 years and over diagnosed with depression.
The study was based in 570 general practices in the UK supplying data to the QResearch database.
Patients diagnosed with a new episode of depression between the ages of 65 and 100 years, from 1 January 1996 to 31 December 2007. Participants were followed up until 31 December 2008.
The exposure of interest was treatment with antidepressant medication. Antidepressant drugs were grouped into the major classes and commonly prescribed individual drugs were identified.
There were 13 predefined outcome measures: all-cause mortality, sudden cardiac death, suicide, attempted suicide/self-harm, myocardial infarction, stroke/transient ischaemic attack (TIA), falls, fractures, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, epilepsy/seizures, road traffic accidents, adverse drug reactions and hyponatraemia.
In total, 60,746 patients were included in the study cohort. Of these, 54,038 (89.0%) received at least one prescription for an antidepressant during follow-up. The associations with the adverse outcomes were significantly different between the classes of antidepressant drugs for seven outcomes. SSRIs were associated with the highest adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for falls [1.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.58 to 1.73] and hyponatraemia (1.52, 95% CI 1.33 to 1.75), and the group of other antidepressants was associated with the highest HRs for all-cause mortality (1.66, 95% CI 1.56 to 1.77), attempted suicide/self-harm (5.16, 95% CI 3.90 to 6.83), stroke/TIA (1.37, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.55), fracture (1.63, 95% CI 1.45 to 1.83) and epilepsy/seizures (2.24, 95% CI 1.60 to 3.15) compared with when antidepressants were not being used. TCAs did not have the highest HR for any of the outcomes. There were also significantly different associations between the individual drugs for seven outcomes, with trazodone, mirtazapine and venlafaxine associated with the highest rates for several of these outcomes. The mean incremental cost (for all antidepressant prescriptions) ranged between £51.58 (amitriptyline) and £641.18 (venlafaxine) over the 5-year post-diagnosis period.
This study found associations between use of antidepressant drugs and a number of adverse events in older people. There was no evidence that SSRIs or drugs in the group of other antidepressants were associated with a reduced risk of any of the adverse outcomes compared with TCAs; however, they may be associated with an increased risk for certain outcomes. Among individual drugs trazodone, mirtazapine and venlafaxine were associated with the highest rates for some outcomes. Indication bias and residual confounding may explain some of the study findings. The risks of prescribing antidepressants need to be weighed against the potential benefits of these drugs.
The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.
Mental healthcare of elderly people is a common problem in advanced countries. Recently, high technology has developed robots for use not only in factories but also for our living environment. In particular, human-interactive robots for psychological enrichment, which provide services by interacting with humans while stimulating their minds, are rapidly spreading. Such robots not only simply entertain but also render assistance, guide, provide therapy, educate, enable communication, and so on. Robot therapy, which uses robots as a substitution for animals in animal-assisted therapy and activity, is a new application of robots and is attracting the attention of many researchers and psychologists. The seal robot named Paro was developed especially for robot therapy and was used at hospitals and facilities for elderly people in several countries. Recent research has revealed that robot therapy has the same effects on people as animal therapy. In addition, it is being recognized as a new method of mental healthcare for elderly people. In this mini review, we introduce the merits and demerits of animal therapy. Then we explain the human-interactive robot for psychological enrichment, the required functions for therapeutic robots, and the seal robot. Finally, we provide examples of robot therapy for elderly people, including dementia patients.
An entertainment robot was used as occupational therapy instead of animal-assisted therapy to avoid any danger or injury to the patient and maintain cleanliness. This study compared the effectiveness of a robot animal, AIBO, with a toy.
AIBO is made of metal and responds to spoken commands. We demonstrated AIBO to severely demented elderly people living in a geriatric home and observed their reactions.
The most frequent reactions to AIBO consisted of looking at, communicating with, and caring for AIBO. The patients recognized that AIBO was a robot. However, once we dressed AIBO, the patients perceived AIBO as either a dog or a baby. Nevertheless, the presentation of AIBO resulted in positive outcomes for the severe dementia patients, including increased communication between the patients and AIBO.
AIBO was clearly an effective rehabilitation tool in the treatment of severely demented patients.
Traditional pet therapy enhances individual well-being. However, there are situations where a substitute artificial companion (i.e., robotic pet) may serve as a better alternative because of insufficient available resources to care for a real pet, allergic responses to pets, or other difficulties. This pilot study, which compared the benefits of a robotic cat and a plush toy cat as interventions for elderly persons with dementia, was conducted at a special care unit of a large, not-for-profit nursing home. Various aspects of a person's engagement and affect were assessed through direct observations. Though not identical, similar trends were seen for the two cats. Interacting with the cats was linked with decreased agitation and increased pleasure and interest. The study is intended to pave the way for future research on robotherapy with nursing home residents.
Little is known about the prognosis of depression in older patients in general practice or the community.
To summarize available evidence on the course and prognostic factors of depression in older persons.
We conducted a systematic, computerized search of Medline and PsycINFO. Manual search of references of included studies were done. Studies potentially eligible for inclusion were discussed by two reviewers. Methodological quality was independently assessed by two reviewers. Data regarding selection criteria, duration of follow-up, outcome of depression and prognostic factors were extracted.
We identified 40 studies reporting on four cohorts in general practice and 17 in the community. Of all, 67% were of high quality. Follow-up was up to 1 year in general practice and up to 10 years in the community. Information on treatment was hardly provided. About one in three patients developed a chronic course. Five cohorts used more than two measurements during follow-up, illustrating a fluctuating course of depression. Using a best evidence synthesis we summarized the value of prognostic indicators. General practice studies did not provide strong evidence for any factor. Community studies provided strong evidence for an association of baseline depression level, older age, external locus of control, somatic co-morbidity and functional limitations with persistent depression.
Within the older population, age seems to be a negative prognostic factor, while older people are more likely to be exposed to most of the other prognostic factors identified.
In robot therapy for senile dementia patients, a seal-like robot, Paro, was left in patients’ homes for a week to determine its neuropsychological influence. Efficacy was evaluated by the diagnosis method of neuronal dysfunction (DIMENSION), which detects a lack of smoothness of scalp potential distribution resulting from cortical neuronal impairment by analyzing recorded a patient’s electroencephalogram (EEG). Interaction with Paro by patients was observed by their families. In a preliminary experiment, 5 subjects were studied after informed consent was received from them or their families in accordance with the medical ethics committee of the University of Tsukuba and the AIST ethics committee.
This pilot study aimed to compare the effect of companion robots (PARO) to participation in an interactive reading group on emotions in people living with moderate to severe dementia in a residential care setting. A randomized crossover design, with PARO and reading control groups, was used. Eighteen residents with mid- to late-stage dementia from one aged care facility in Queensland, Australia, were recruited. Participants were assessed three times using the Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease, Rating Anxiety in Dementia, Apathy Evaluation, Geriatric Depression, and Revised Algase Wandering Scales. PARO had a moderate to large positive influence on participants' quality of life compared to the reading group. The PARO intervention group had higher pleasure scores when compared to the reading group. Findings suggest PARO may be useful as a treatment option for people with dementia; however, the need for a larger trial was identified.
Globally, the population of elderly people is rising with an increasing number of people living with dementias. This trend is coupled with a prevailing need for compassionate caretakers. A key challenge in dementia care is to assist the person to sustain communication and connection to family, caregivers and the environment. The use of social commitment robots in the care of people with dementia has intriguing possibilities to address some of these care needs. This paper discusses the literature on the use of social commitment robots in the care of elderly people with dementia; the contributions to care that social commitment robots potentially can make and the cautions around their use. Future directions for programs of research are identified to further the development of the evidence-based knowledge in this area.
Innovative solutions for dementia care are required to address the steady rise in adults living with dementia, lack of adequate staffing to provide high-quality dementia care, and the need for family caregivers to provide care for their loved ones in the home. This article provides an overview of the use of socially assistive robots (SARs) to offer support as therapists, companions, and educators for people living with dementia. Social, ethical, and legal challenges associated with the use of robotic technology in patient care and implications for the use of SARs by nurses are discussed. These items considered, the authors conclude that SARs should be considered as a viable way to assist people living with dementia to maintain their highest possible level of independence, enhance their quality of life, and provide support to overburdened family caregivers. Further research is needed to evaluate the merits of this technological approach in the care of adults with dementia.
Robot therapy in the form of two seal robots was conducted for a year at a care house in Japan. Residents and robots interacted over 9 hours a day. To determine psychological and social robot influence, individual residents were interviewed using the "free pile sort"method and their social interaction was analyzed. After robot use was discontinued, follow-up showed that robots encouraged residents to communicate with each other and strengthen their individual ties during the year of robot use.
The ongoing development of robotics on the one hand and, on the other hand, the foreseen relative growth in number of elderly individuals suffering from dementia, raises the question of which contribution robotics could have to rationalize and maintain, or even improve the quality of care. The objective of this review was to assess the published effects and effectiveness of robot interventions aiming at social assistance in elderly care. We searched, using Medical Subject Headings terms and free words, in the CINAHL, MEDLINE, Cochrane, BIOMED, PUBMED, PsycINFO, and EMBASE databases. Also the IEEE Digital Library was searched. No limitations were applied for the date of publication. Only articles written in English were taken into account. Collected publications went through a selection process. In the first step, publications were collected from major databases using a search query. In the second step, 3 reviewers independently selected publications on their title, using predefined selection criteria. In the third step, publications were judged based on their abstracts by the same reviewers, using the same selection criteria. In the fourth step, one reviewer made the final selection of publications based on complete content. Finally, 41 publications were included in the review, describing 17 studies involving 4 robot systems. Most studies reported positive effects of companion-type robots on (socio)psychological (eg, mood, loneliness, and social connections and communication) and physiological (eg, stress reduction) parameters. The methodological quality of the studies was, mostly, low. Although positive effects were reported, the scientific value of the evidence was limited. The positive results described, however, prompt further effectiveness research in this field.
To offer an update on prevalence and predictors of old age depression in populations of elderly Caucasians.
The databases MEDLINE and Psychinfo were searched and relevant literature from 1993 onwards was reviewed.
The prevalence of major depression ranges from 0.9% to 9.4% in private households, from 14% to 42% in institutional living, and from 1% to 16% among elderly living in private households or in institutions; and clinically relevant depressive symptom 'cases' in similar settings vary between 7.2% and 49%. The main predictors of depressive disorders and depressive symptom cases are: female gender, somatic illness, cognitive impairment, functional impairment, lack or loss of close social contacts, and a history of depression.
Depression is frequent in populations of elderly. Methodological differences between the studies hinder consistent conclusions about geographical and cross-cultural variations in prevalence and predictors of depression. Improved comparability will provide a basis for consistent conclusions.