Robot-Led Piano Lessons May Improve Cognitive Function: AFeasibility Study in a Sample with Mild Cognitive Impairment

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-25
Author(s):  
Bailey Collette ◽  
George Mois ◽  
Jenay M. Beer ◽  
Laura Boccanfuso ◽  
Aditi Ramachadran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Neural Plasticity ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Assistive Robots ◽  
Effective Form ◽  
Piano Lessons

Cognitive training has been shown to increase neural plasticity and cognitive reserve, potentially reducing the risk of developing dementia. Music learning, specifically piano playing, has been shown to be an effective form of multimodal cognitive training. This pilot study explored the feasibility and efficacy of using a socially assistive robot to provide a piano learning cognitive training intervention to older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Participants (N=11) engaged in a four-week feasibility study, which included a one-hour piano lesson per week led by a remotely controlled robot. Participants experienced improved cognitive function in the verbal memory ( p=0.04), executive function ( p=0.01), reaction time ( p=0.04), and cognitive flexibility ( p=0.003) domains, as well as in the calculated neurocognitive index score ( p=0.03). Socially assistive robots may have the potential to provide cognitive training in the form of piano lessons for older adults with mild cognitive impairment, especially adults who cannot access traditional services.

scholarly journals ATTITUDES AND PREFERENCES FOR ROBOT-LED PIANO COGNITIVE TRAINING: FEASIBILITY IN MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S946-S946
Author(s):  
George Mois ◽  
Bailley Collette ◽  
Lisa M Renzi-Hammond ◽  
Laura Boccanfuso ◽  
Aditi Ramachandran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Neural Plasticity ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Assistive Robots

Abstract Cognitive training has been shown to improve neural plasticity, increase cognitive reserve and reduce the risk of dementia in older adults. Specifically, learning to play the piano has been shown to be an engaging, multimodal form of cognitive training. However, accessing this form of cognitive training can pose a challenge for older adults. Socially assistive robots present a unique opportunity to increase access to user-tailored piano learning cognitive training. The present study utilized a robot-led four-week piano lesson feasibility intervention for older adults with mild cognitive impairment (N = 11; M= 74.64 ± 6.02 years of age; 72.72% female; 90.1% White/Caucasian). Cognitive Status was assessed during screening via the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status, and after screening via the Mini-Mental State Exam and the CNS Vital Signs computerized test suite to measure cognitive domain-specific functioning. Perceptions and acceptance of the robot were measured using the Robotic Social Attributes Scale (RoSAS) and Technology Acceptance Scale. Cognitive function improved after four weeks of training in the verbal memory, executive function, reaction time and cognitive flexibility domains, and in the computed neurocognitive index score (p<0.05). Survey data and qualitative interviews show that participants perceived the robot instructor as socially engaging, competent, useful, and easy to use. These results provide insight into the potential of SARs to facilitate cognitive training in the form of piano lessons, as well as recommendations for creating a suitable robot instructor for this application.

scholarly journals The Role of Daily Social Interactions in Detecting Mild Cognitive Impairment

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 598-598
Author(s):  
Ruixue Zhaoyang ◽  
Stacey Scott ◽  
Eric Cerino ◽  
Martin Sliwinski
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Normal Cognitive Function ◽  
Social Markers

Abstract Social relationships play an important role in cognitive health and aging. However, it is unclear how older adult’s cognitive function affects their everyday social interactions, especially for those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This study examined whether older adults with intact cognition vs. MCI differed in their daily social interactions. Community-dwelling older adults from the Einstein Aging Study (N=244, 70-91 yrs) reported their social interactions five times daily for 14 consecutive days using smartphones. Compared to those with normal cognitive function, older adults with MCI reported less frequent positive social interactions (p=0.012) and in-person social activities (p=0.006) on a daily basis. These two groups, however, did not show significant differences in their social relationships assessed by a conventional global questionnaire. The results support that, relative to global social relationships, daily social interactions are more sensitive, ecologically valid social markers that can facilitate the early detection of MCI.

scholarly journals A Dialogue-Based System with Photo and Storytelling for Older Adults: Toward Daily Cognitive Training

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seiki Tokunaga ◽  
Kazuhiro Tamura ◽  
Mihoko Otake-Matsuura
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Question Answering ◽  
Design Method ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Assistive Robots ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
At Home

As the elderly population grows worldwide, living a healthy and full life as an older adult is becoming a topic of great interest. One key factor and severe challenge to maintaining quality of life in older adults is cognitive decline. Assistive robots for helping older adults have been proposed to solve issues such as social isolation and dependent living. Only a few studies have reported the positive effects of dialogue robots on cognitive function but conversation is being discussed as a promising intervention that includes various cognitive tasks. Existing dialogue robot-related studies have reported on placing dialogue robots in elderly homes and allowing them to interact with residents. However, it is difficult to reproduce these experiments since the participants’ characteristics influence experimental conditions, especially at home. Besides, most dialogue systems are not designed to set experimental conditions without on-site support. This study proposes a novel design method that uses a dialogue-based robot system for cognitive training at home. We define challenges and requirements to meet them to realize cognitive function training through daily communication. Those requirements are designed to satisfy detailed conditions such as duration of dialogue, frequency, and starting time without on-site support. Our system displays photos and gives original stories to provide contexts for dialogue that help the robot maintain a conversation for each story. Then the system schedules dialogue sessions along with the participant’s plan. The robot moderates the user to ask a question and then responds to the question by changing its facial expression. This question-answering procedure continued for a specific duration (4 min). To verify our design method’s effectiveness and implementation, we conducted three user studies by recruiting 35 elderly participants. We performed prototype-, laboratory-, and home-based experiments. Through these experiments, we evaluated current datasets, user experience, and feasibility for home use. We report on and discuss the older adults’ attitudes toward the robot and the number of turns during dialogues. We also classify the types of utterances and identify user needs. Herein, we outline the findings of this study, outlining the system’s essential characteristics to experiment toward daily cognitive training and explain further feature requests.

scholarly journals Can Performance on Daily Activities Discriminate Between Older Adults with Normal Cognitive Function and Those with Mild Cognitive Impairment?

2014 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 1347-1352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juleen Rodakowski ◽  
Elizabeth R. Skidmore ◽  
Charles F. Reynolds ◽  
Mary Amanda Dew ◽  
Meryl A. Butters ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Normal Cognitive Function
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