NIH grant supports developing voice assistant for persons living with dementia

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — An interdisciplinary team of Penn State researchers received a $432,198 grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging to work on voice assistants to support dementia care. The project will be led by Saeed Abdullah, associate professor in the College of Information Sciences and Technology and director of the Wellbeing and Health Innovation (WHI) Lab, in collaboration with S. Shyam Sundar, Evan Pugh University Professor, James P. Jimirro Professor of Media Effects in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications and director of the Penn State Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence; and Donna Fick, Elouise Ross Eberly Professor and director of the Tressa Nese and Helen Diskevich Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing. 

The researchers aim to develop a voice assistant to improve the quality of life of persons living with dementia (PLwD) and their care partners. The voice assistant will deliver customized and tailored cognitive stimulation therapy (CST), which is one of the most effective interventions for maintaining cognitive functioning and well-being of persons living with dementia, according to the researchers. 

“Recent studies have consistently shown that CST improves cognition, well-being and quality of life for persons living with dementia,” Abdullah said. “However, providing CST to individuals in need remains a serious challenge. A voice assistant that delivers CST sessions at home will minimize care partner burden and provide effective support to PLwD.” 

According to the researchers, voice assistants like Alexa have been widely adopted and accepted among older adults, so this project has the potential to positively impact a large population of PLwD and their care partners, including those living in remote and rural areas. 

The team will launch the project at the Artificial Intelligence for Aging in Place symposium at the 2024 Fall Symposium Series sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, which will take place Nov. 7-9 in Arlington, Virginia.