Personalized digital reminiscence therapy for older adults with mild neurocognitive disorders
Effects of Personalized Reminiscence Sessions Delivered by a Digital Conversational Agent to Patients With Neurocognitive Disorders
This project will test whether daily personalized digital reminiscence sessions delivered by a conversational agent can help older adults with mild neurocognitive disorders who have apathy or mild depression.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 80 (estimated) |
| Ages | 60 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | KompanionCare SAS Industry-sponsored |
| Locations | 5 sites (Angers and 4 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT07237009 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Participants will use a conversational reminiscence app for 10–15 minutes daily over 25 days, with a primary caregiver helping to add personal memories and optional contributions from other relatives. The study will collect brief questionnaires on apathy, depression, sleep, quality of life, and engagement at baseline and during follow-up visits. The protocol also examines whether in-app reminders alone are enough to encourage regular use without external assistance. This is an observational study conducted at several French university hospital geriatric departments and the sponsor may provide compatible Apple devices if needed.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people aged over 60 with DSM-5 mild neurocognitive disorder or mild cognitive impairment, MMSE between 21 and 28, and current mild/moderate apathy or depression who can hear and see the app, interact with an Apple device running iOS 16+, and have at least one caregiver willing to share biographical content.
Not a fit: Patients with more advanced dementia, major sensory or motor impairments that prevent using the app, no access to a compatible device or internet, or no caregiver support are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could modestly improve mood, motivation, sleep, and overall quality of life while increasing engagement for people with mild cognitive impairment or early neurocognitive disorders.
How similar studies have performed: Traditional reminiscence therapy has shown modest benefits for mood and engagement in prior studies, but delivery via personalized digital conversational agents is relatively new and has limited direct evidence.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Men and women over 60 years of age. * DSM-5 diagnosis: Early stage of major neurocognitive disorders or MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment) including all underlying causes. * Have a Mini-Mental State Exam score of 21 ≤ MMSE ≤ 28. * Presence of mild or moderate depression, or presence of mild or moderate apathy, or presence of both * Displays the necessary physical and cognitive abilities, without major limitations compromising interaction with the digital tool. * Having voluntarily and informedly agreed to participate in the study (signed written consent). * Subject's ability to hear and see the digital tool's stimuli (tests integrated into the tool). * Patients with access to an Apple device (smartphone or tablet), either personal or provided by the sponsor, running iOS version 16 or higher, with internet access. * Patient has at least one close referent who declares their wish to contribute to the collection of biographical information via the digital messaging group. * Subjects covered by a social security scheme. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with moderate or severe dementia (MMSE score ≤ 20) because implicit memory recall is less effective in moderate or severe stages for people with PWD. * Presence of major psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, severe major depressive episode, bipolar disorder). * Major hearing or visual impairments. * History of premorbid intellectual disability. * Patients under guardianship, conservatorship, or legal protection. * Patients who have already used the Lilia app * Participating simultaneously in another study involving human subjects, a clinical investigation, or a therapeutic trial for the entire duration of the study. * Patients who have received a new treatment related to neurocognitive disorders (medication) during the 3 months prior to the inclusion visit.
Where this trial is running
Angers and 4 other locations
- CHU Angers, Service médecine gériatrique. — Angers, France (Recruiting)
- Limoges University Hospital Center - Dupuytren Hospital], Geriatric medicine department — Limoges, France (Recruiting)
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice - Institut Claude Pompidou, Centre Mémoire de Ressources et de Recherches (CM2R) — Nice, France (Recruiting)
- APHP Hôpitaux universitaires Paris centre. — Paris, France (Not_yet_recruiting)
- CHU DE TOURS, Pôle Vieillissement, Hôpital Bretonneau. — Tours, France (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Peter MARKUS
- Email: peter@kompanioncare.com
- Phone: +36303621811
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.