Dementia, music and biometric gaming: Rising to the Dementia Challenge

In 2012, the U.K. government launched its Dementia Challenge, authorizing additional funding for dementia research and health care. The search for curative medicines is ongoing, but scientific research reveals evidence that music can play a positive role in general health, and in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in particular. This article considers whether some of the challenges that dementia presents could be addressed through music therapy and proposes that biometric gaming might offer one means of channeling such associated health benefits to sufferers of dementia, even in the final stages of the disease

The Effects of Music Therapy on Older Adults with Dementia: A Systematic Review

Older adults with dementia experience difficulties throughout the progression of the disease, including decreased quality of life and mental health (Weise et al., 2018). Nonpharmacological interventions, such as music therapy and music listening, may be one solution to affect mental health outcomes in this population. The two authors seek to answer the following PICOT formatted question: In older adults, ages 65 and older, with dementia, how does music therapy, compared with treatment as usual, affect depression and anxiety? Twenty primary sources, published from 2014 to 2019, were reviewed and critically appraised. The sources were diverse with regards to country of origin, design, methods, and results. Across studies, findings were inconsistent with some supporting that music therapy or music listening increased quality of life and decreased depression, anxiety, and agitation

Mobile Recommendation System to Provide Emotional Support and Promote Active Aging for Older Adults in the Republic of Panama

Aging brings with it physical and cognitive changes that can lead to health problems such as chronic disease and cognitive impairment. Technology is a fundamental ally in improving the quality of life of older adults by enabling accurate and early diagnosis. In this context, we present a mobile application designed to provide emotional support and guidance, thus contributing to the well-being of this demographic group. Our study was based on quantitative research methods, using an experimental approach on a sample of users aged between 60 and 80 years. The results showed that 93.3% of users found the app to be a useful resource for adopting a healthier lifestyle. The app provides specific recommendations, such as breathing exercises to reduce anxiety, recreational activities, exercises tailored to physical ability, and meditation practices. These specific features have been shown to improve the well-being of older adults by providing a personalized approach to the challenges of aging

Conversational affective social robots for ageing and dementia support

Socially assistive robots (SAR) hold significant potential to assist older adults and people with dementia in human engagement and clinical contexts by supporting mental health and independence at home. While SAR research has recently experienced prolific growth, long-term trust, clinical translation and patient benefit remain immature. Affective human-robot interactions are unresolved and the deployment of robots with conversational abilities is fundamental for robustness and humanrobot engagement. In this paper, we review the state of the art within the past two decades, design trends, and current applications of conversational affective SAR for ageing and dementia support. A horizon scanning of AI voice technology for healthcare, including ubiquitous smart speakers, is further introduced to address current gaps inhibiting home use. We discuss the role of user-centred approaches in the design of voice systems, including the capacity to handle communication breakdowns for effective use by target populations. We summarise the state of development in interactions using speech and natural language processing, which forms a baseline for longitudinal health monitoring and cognitive assessment. Drawing from this foundation, we identify open challenges and propose future directions to advance conversational affective social robots for: 1) user engagement, 2) deployment in real-world settings, and 3) clinical translation

MUSIC THERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA: EVIDENCE INFORMED RECOMMENDATIONS

This thesis will explore the research on implementing music therapy into the care of patients with dementia to decrease anxiety, agitation, and depression. Dementia is a term to describe symptoms secondary to certain medical conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or a traumatic brain injury. Symptoms of dementia include memory loss, decreased reasoning and judgement, and a decline in language function. Some of the symptoms associated with dementia are a decreased quality of life, depression, anxiety, and agitation. The literature review explores the integrative intervention of music therapy and whether it is beneficial at addressing both symptoms of dementia, and symptoms associated with dementia. Additionally, which forms of music therapy are most effective, and how they can be implemented into the care of patients with dementia successfully are addressed. While the review of the current literature is located in chapter two of this paper, the paper will also identify the best practice recommendations, a proposed plan of implementation, and a proposed evaluation of the implementation plan

LONG-REMI: An AI-based technological application to promote healthy mental longevity grounded in reminiscence therapy

Reminiscence therapy (RT) consists of thinking about one’s own experiences through the presentation of memory-facilitating stimuli, and it has as its fundamental axis the activation of emotions. An innovative way of offering RT involves the use of technology-assisted applications, which must also satisfy the needs of the user. This study aimed to develop an AI-based computer application that recreates RT in a personalized way, meeting the characteristics of RT guided by a therapist or a caregiver. The material guiding RT focuses on intangible cultural heritage. The application incorporates facial expression analysis and reinforcement learning techniques, with the aim of identifying the user’s emotions and, with them, guiding the computer system that emulates RT dynamically and in real time. A pilot study was carried out at five senior centers in Barcelona and Portugal. The results obtained are very positive, showing high user satisfaction. Moreover, the results indicate that the high frequency of positive emotions increased in the participants at the end of the intervention, while the low frequencies of negative emotions were maintained at the end of the intervention.This research was supported by the Fundación General CSIC (FGCSIC), the Programa para una Sociedad Longeva (0551_PSL_6_E POCTEP), and the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER).Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

LONG-REMI : an AI-Based Technological Application to Promote Healthy Mental Longevity Grounded in Reminiscence Therapy

Altres ajuts: Fundación General CSIC (0551_PSL_6_E POCTEP)Reminiscence therapy (RT) consists of thinking about one's own experiences through the presentation of memory-facilitating stimuli, and it has as its fundamental axis the activation of emotions. An innovative way of offering RT involves the use of technology-assisted applications, which must also satisfy the needs of the user. This study aimed to develop an AI-based computer application that recreates RT in a personalized way, meeting the characteristics of RT guided by a therapist or a caregiver. The material guiding RT focuses on intangible cultural heritage. The application incorporates facial expression analysis and reinforcement learning techniques, with the aim of identifying the user's emotions and, with them, guiding the computer system that emulates RT dynamically and in real time. A pilot study was carried out at five senior centers in Barcelona and Portugal. The results obtained are very positive, showing high user satisfaction. Moreover, the results indicate that the high frequency of positive emotions increased in the participants at the end of the intervention, while the low frequencies of negative emotions were maintained at the end of the intervention

A qualitative exploration of aged-care residents' everyday music listening practices and how these may support psychosocial well-being

Strategies to support the psychosocial well-being of older adults living in aged-care are needed; and evidence points toward music listening as an effective, non-pharmacological tool with many benefits to quality of life and well-being. Yet, the everyday listening practices (and their associated specific psychosocial benefits) of older adults living in residential aged-care remain under-researched. The current study explored older adults' experiences of music listening in their daily lives while living in residential aged-care and considered how music listening might support their well-being. Specifically, what might go into autonomous listening activities? 32 Australian residents (aged 73–98) living in two Australian care facilities participated in semi-structured interviews. The results of a qualitative thematic analysis revealed three themes pertaining to "previous music experiences and interest," "current music listening," and "barriers to listening." While an interest in and access to music did not necessarily result in everyday listening practices, of those participants who did listen to music, perceived benefits included outcomes such as entertainment, enjoyment, relaxation, and mood regulation. Drawing on Ruud's notion of music as a "cultural immunogen" supporting well-being and Self-Determination Theory, theoretical implications of the findings are addressed, relating to how to create and support music activities in aged-care facilities so that they are engaging, meaningful, and promote emotional regulation, community, and well-being