Evaluating the User Experience and Therapeutic Efficacy of Humanoid Socially Assistive Robots in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) Care.

چکیده اصلی

BACKGROUND: Addressing neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) requires scalable, non-pharmacological interventions. This study evaluated the user experience and clinical efficacy of a humanoid Socially Assistive Robot (SAR) in an ADRD care setting. METHODS: A randomized, 8-week, baseline-controlled intervention was conducted (N=19), utilizing each participant's pre-intervention status as the control. Outcomes included acute mood change, sustained depressive symptoms via the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and user acceptance via the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). RESULTS: The SAR achieved "Excellent" UEQ ratings (x > 2.0) across all dimensions, indicating high accessibility and engagement. Analysis revealed a significant acute positive mood boost (p < 0.001) and a sustained reduction in GDS scores over 8 weeks compared to baseline. A strong correlation existed between robotic stimulation and clinical GDS improvement (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Humanoid SARs are highly accepted and efficacious adjunctive tools for improving emotional health in ADRD populations, supporting their integration into formal dementia care protocols.

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