The AMPER (Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing) system has been built to help people with Alzheimer's disease by improving their memory recall and quality of life. Alzheimer's often leads to the loss of autobiographical memories, which can affect a person's sense of identity. AMPER seeks to address this by creating a digital memory aid that uses an engaging, animated character on a tablet to help individuals with Alzheimer's reminisce about their past. By presenting personally relevant stories, images, audio, and videos, the character helps trigger memories and encourages interaction with caregivers. This is proof of concept study using a randomised controlled trial methodology. Twenty participants will be randomised to the control and 20 randomised to the intervention condition. The intervention group will use a personalised version of the AMPER app with tailored content and the control group will use a non-personalised version without specific adaptations. Over 12 weeks, participants will use the app at home with their caregivers. Researchers will measure changes in their memory and cognitive abilities before and after these 12 weeks. The primary goal is to see if personalised reminiscence improves the perceived quality of the reminiscence experience and autobiographical memory ability compared to the same app with a non-personalised approach. This will be measured using a combination of automatically gathered app use data and weekly caregiver feedback. Secondary goals are to investigate any difference between participants in the intervention and control condition in their technology acceptance, quality of life, self-esteem, everyday functioning and cognitive ability. Feedback from this research will help refine AMPER and inform future studies, with the ultimate goal of creating a widely accessible tool that supports memory and well-being in Alzheimer's patients. Table 1 provides a summary of the study.
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Quality of autobiographical memory during AMPER use
Timeframe: From enrollment to the end of AMPER use at 12 weeks
Autobiographical Memory ability (objectively rated)
Timeframe: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Autobiographical Memory ability (subjectively rated)
Timeframe: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Autobiographical Memory ability (subjectively rated on SAM)
Timeframe: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)