Robot-Assisted Meditation for Older Adults With Cognitive Concerns

Sponsor
Johns Hopkins University
Study ID
NCT07435220
Status
Not Yet Recruiting

Notify me when recruiting opens

Save your spot on the interest list for this study. We'll keep your details with this study so our team can follow up when recruiting opens.

Not yet recruiting

Add your contact details and location so we can keep your interest tied to this study.

Conditions

  • Cognitive Impairment
  • Perceived Stress

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
65 Years - 80 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Robot-Guided Meditation — BEHAVIORAL
    A handheld robot provides daily mindfulness meditation sessions that include both haptic and audio guidance.
  • Audio-Only Robot — BEHAVIORAL
    Participants use the same robot, which remains stationary (no haptic movement) and provides audio-only daily meditation sessions.

Study Details

While traditional app-based mindfulness meditation programs relying solely on audio guidance have shown potential benefits for older adults, the programs often face challenges such as low engagement. Participants frequently report difficulties in maintaining focus during meditation sessions, which can limit its effectiveness in improving outcomes such as stress reduction and sleep quality. To address these limitations, this study examines whether a haptic robot that provides both tactile and audio guidance can enhance meditation. The robot's expansion and contraction movements help users pace and sustain rhythmic breathing, while gentle vibrations signal phase transitions without disrupting concentration. These haptic features are intended to anchor attention and support a more embodied practice. The study primarily seeks to answer the following questions: Does a haptic enabled meditation intervention reduce perceived stress in older adults living alone with subjective cognitive decline more effectively than an audio only mindfulness meditation guidance provided by a non-moving robot? To what extent does enhanced attentional anchoring mediate the intervention's effect on perceived stress in this population? By addressing these questions, the research aims to determine whether haptic enabled meditation technology can overcome common barriers to mindfulness practice among older adults and serve as an innovative tool to reduce perceived stress, and ultimately improve their sleep quality and physical, emotional, and cognitive well being.

Key Dates

First listed
Feb 27, 2026
Start date
Nov 1, 2026
Status verified
Aug 2026
Primary completion
Oct 31, 2027
Completion
Dec 31, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment
100 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • Experimental: Robot-Guided
    A handheld robot provides daily mindfulness meditation sessions that include both haptic and audio guidance.
  • Active Comparator: Non-Moving Robot
    Participants use the same robot, which remains stationary (no haptic movement) and provides audio-only daily meditation sessions.

Primary Outcome Measure

Stress level as assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) [ Time Frame: Baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks ]

Central Contacts

Related Studies