SPOT: A brief measure to understand wellbeing for people with dementia and their caregivers
Official title: Social and Psychological Outcomes Tally (SPOT) System for Dementia Wellbeing
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11447968 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new quick set of questions will help doctors and researchers understand the social and emotional wellbeing of people with dementia and their caregivers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $828,117 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AG096404-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11447968 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living with mild to moderate dementia and their primary caregiver.
✕Less likely to help
If the person with dementia is in very late stages or lacks reliable caregiver input, the tool may be less informative.
What this research studies
This project will create and test the SPOT measure, a short, easy-to-use tool that captures both social and psychological wellbeing for people living with dementia and their carers. It uses input from both members of the dyad and considers anosognosia to provide a clearer picture of daily life and needs. The team will test the tool with about 250 dementia dyads to ensure it covers the most important QOL aspects and can guide clinical actions and program decisions. The resulting scoring guide will help clinicians, researchers, and public health professionals interpret results and tailor care accordingly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, SPOT could give clinicians a practical way to monitor and respond to the wellbeing of both people with dementia and their caregivers.
How similar studies have gone: This line of work builds on existing dementia QoL measures but adds dyadic input and an interpretation framework to guide actions.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stites, Shana D. — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Stites, Shana D.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.