Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER)
Lead Research Organisation:
Heriot-Watt University
Department Name: S of Mathematical and Computer Sciences
Abstract
Older age groups are the fastest growing sector of the population because of the post-war baby boom population and increased life expectancy. Neurological changes are commonly observed in ageing populations including Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and other dementias. AD patients tend to become withdrawn and depressed due to communication problems and loss of confidence.
However memory loss in people with AD occurs in reverse chronological order so that pockets of long-term memory remain accessible even as the disease progresses. AMPER's main technological challenge is the development of an agent with a novel human-like autobiographical memory model that tells stories to encourage reminiscing using individualised repositories of life experiences in real-world social contexts.
AMPER will apply user-centred design with AD individuals and their carers to create such an agent. This will perform a carer-assisted intervention for personalised reminiscence, telling stories and bringing to the surface memories residing in the still viable regions of the brain. The project will collect both generationally relevant and personally relevant multi-media materials organised and reorganised by the agent's autobiographical memory. It will test the acceptability and effectiveness of both graphical and table-top robot agents.
Autobiographical memory provides a reflection of "self" enabling an individual to relive an event. By building a technological bridge to unique life experiences and aiding recollection, an AD individual's sense of value, importance and belonging may be restored.
The project aims to create a meaningful technology that is accessible as well as responsive to an individual's changing needs and experiences.
The project will work with the charity Sporting Memories, already involved in reminiscence support, with the NHS Scotland Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network, the University of Edinburgh Centre for Dementia Prevention, and the Latin American Network for Dementia Research, forming its Steering Committee. Craig Ritchie, of the Centre for Dementia Prevention partner, will also bring in Scottish Dementia Research Consortium and Brain Health Scotland as Steering Committee members.
However memory loss in people with AD occurs in reverse chronological order so that pockets of long-term memory remain accessible even as the disease progresses. AMPER's main technological challenge is the development of an agent with a novel human-like autobiographical memory model that tells stories to encourage reminiscing using individualised repositories of life experiences in real-world social contexts.
AMPER will apply user-centred design with AD individuals and their carers to create such an agent. This will perform a carer-assisted intervention for personalised reminiscence, telling stories and bringing to the surface memories residing in the still viable regions of the brain. The project will collect both generationally relevant and personally relevant multi-media materials organised and reorganised by the agent's autobiographical memory. It will test the acceptability and effectiveness of both graphical and table-top robot agents.
Autobiographical memory provides a reflection of "self" enabling an individual to relive an event. By building a technological bridge to unique life experiences and aiding recollection, an AD individual's sense of value, importance and belonging may be restored.
The project aims to create a meaningful technology that is accessible as well as responsive to an individual's changing needs and experiences.
The project will work with the charity Sporting Memories, already involved in reminiscence support, with the NHS Scotland Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network, the University of Edinburgh Centre for Dementia Prevention, and the Latin American Network for Dementia Research, forming its Steering Committee. Craig Ritchie, of the Centre for Dementia Prevention partner, will also bring in Scottish Dementia Research Consortium and Brain Health Scotland as Steering Committee members.
Publications
Aylett R
(2024)
Technology-Supported Reminiscence Therapy for Those Living with Dementia
in Proceedings of the AAAI Symposium Series
| Description | The AMPER project focuses on leveraging AI-based conversational agents to support reminiscence therapy for individuals living with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The system is designed to aid autobiographical memory recall, which is fundamental for maintaining identity, self-worth, and self-esteem in individuals experiencing cognitive decline. The project integrates cognitive science principles, particularly the reminiscence bump theory, to structure memory recall in a way that strengthens a patient's access to personally meaningful life experiences. Key Findings & Outcomes from the Publications: Graphical Character Design for Reminiscence Therapy o We have explored the process of selecting a graphical character for the AMPER system, ensuring it fosters engagement, trust, and relatability for dementia patients. o The study emphasizes the importance of personalization in graphical agent design, where familiarity and emotional resonance enhance user experience. 2. Trust and Suspension of Disbelief in Embodied Conversational Agents o We examined the role of trust and deception in interactions with embodied conversational agents (ECAs). o Findings suggest that trust-building mechanisms (such as empathetic responses and personalization) improve user engagement, while suspension of disbelief allows users to interact meaningfully with AI-based agents. 3. Technology-Supported Reminiscence Therapy for Dementia Patients o We investigated how AI-driven reminiscence therapy can be structured to support memory activation through interactive dialogue. o The study provides evidence that guided memory retrieval, facilitated by conversational agents, can help reconstruct fragmented memories and enhance personal identity in dementia patients. o The research highlights the potential of intelligent systems to adapt to individual cognitive needs and track progress in autobiographical memory retrieval. 4. Demonstration of the AMPER System for Alzheimer's Patients o We presented a demonstration of AMPER as a fully functional AI-based reminiscence support tool. o The system personalizes interactions by curating personally meaningful memorabilia, guiding caregivers and patients in discussions that maximize memory recall. o Preliminary results suggest that AMPER fosters positive emotional responses and cognitive stimulation, aiding in identity restoration for individuals with Alzheimer's disease. (see publications supporting these fidnings). Experimental outcomes to date • We completed a study evaluating and comparing objective and subjective measures of autobiographical memory for 43 healthy older adults and found evidence of the reminiscence bump for semantic but not episodic memories. We will aim to publish the paper in a high impact, open access journal in Spring 2025. • We have also completed an evaluation of the AMPER prototype with 24 pairs of healthy older adults. The objectives were to a) evaluate use and acceptance to inform app development prior to a randomised controlled trial and b) examine how cognitive ability and self-reported autobiographical memory (AM) ability impacted technology acceptance and interaction quality, as measured by the length time taken during use. Results suggest that among healthy older adults, the app is usable and acceptable. This preliminary study has refined the AMPER system and procedures for an upcoming randomised controlled trial. • We have been preparing for a randomised controlled trial with our target group. This will investigate whether the user acceptance findings in the healthy adults study replicate in people with dementia and whether AMPER can improve AM ability over time. |
| Exploitation Route | The project is in progress, and we are now moving toward the final aims. We have already paved the way to run an engaging proof of concept trial to ensure patients and their carers have the opportunity to experience AMPER. Following the proof of concept, we aim to subject AMPER to a formal Randomised Control Trial, which will provide the evidence on efficacy. This will allow us to propose AMPER as a post-diagnostic support solution that can benefit third-sector organisations that provide support to patients and caregivers, such as Alzheimer Scotland, Alzheimer's Society, or the NHS, via the primary care pathway. |
| Sectors | Healthcare |
| Description | Up to 2024: The key impact achieved by AMPER to date is linked to increasing awareness about the role that AI can play in the development of technologies to assist people affected by dementia and those who care for them. We anticipate that an enhanced level of awareness will help the AMPER team, our collaborators and partners to overcome barriers novel healthcare technologies face, such as stigmas and low acceptance. We have discussed why increasing trust is key to ensuring end-users will embrace new technologies and will adhere to treatments that rely on them (Embodied Conversational Agents: Trust, Deception and a the Suspension of Disbelief). We have demonstrated that a way to achieve that is by involving them in the process of developing and delivering such technologies (Archetype or Stereotype: Case study in choosing a graphical character to support reminiscence therapy for those living with dementia). The AMPER outreach agenda has proved fruitful, and it continues to attract the attention of the media and various outlets. Working with our NHS partners, panel of volunteers, and other stakeholders we will continue paving the way towards improved understanding and acceptance of healthcare technologies. This will promote a favourable context wherein technology-driven interventions can be successfully carried out. Up to 2025: The AMPER project represents a groundbreaking advancement in AI-driven reminiscence therapy, providing a personalised digital memory prosthesis to support individuals living with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. By integrating embodied conversational agents (ECAs) with cognitive science principles, AMPER enhances autobiographical memory recall, a key factor in maintaining identity, self-worth, and self-esteem. This technology will directly benefit patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and third-sector organisations by improving access to cost-effective, scalable, and personalised dementia care. Areas where impact has already been achieved are: Academic: AMPER advances cognitive science, AI, and healthcare research by demonstrating how AI-driven reminiscence therapy can enhance cognitive function and emotional well-being. The findings contribute to human-computer interaction, trust in AI, and memory rehabilitation. Additionally, AMPER offers an interdisciplinary framework for integrating personalised digital interventions into dementia care. We have developed new tools and made them available via peer-reviewed publications. These tools will support academics in developing technologies that rely on ECA and will help harmonise practices toward the selection of ECA. Third Sector: Sporting Memories, which supports patients with dementia via reminiscence techniques using sporting-related memorabilia, has engaged their users with AMPER. They have realised the potential to deliver low-cost, scalable reminiscence therapy, particularly in underfunded and remote areas. The system offers an evidence-based, AI-supported tool that reduces reliance on expensive human-led therapy while maintaining person-centered care. In summary, the team have demonstrated that: • Personalized AI-driven reminiscence therapy shows promise in improving memory accessibility and well-being in dementia patients. • Conversational agents can serve as digital memory prostheses, facilitating meaningful interactions between patients and caregivers. • Trust, personalisation, and engagement are crucial factors in the effectiveness of virtual agents for reminiscence therapy. • The AMPER system is a novel approach that integrates cognitive science theories with AI-driven personalisation. It holds the potential to enhance the quality of life for individuals with cognitive impairments and their families. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2004 |
| Sector | Healthcare |
| Impact Types | Societal Policy & public services |
| Title | Autobiographical memory assessment framework (AMA-F) to inform reminiscence technologies |
| Description | This pilot study will inform on optimal forms of AMA that can be reliably supported by the suggested theories (i.e., episodic memory, semantic memory and the working self). We are integrating the Autobiographical Memory Interview (AMI) which provides reliable assessment of the recollection of episodic events and personal semantic memories as well as information on the temporal gradient of AM across age, the Autobiographical Recollection Test (ART) which gives a measure of individual differences in AM across seven aspects of the recollection experience and the Survey Autobiographical Memory (SAM) which provides a useful measure of self-reported episodic autobiographical, semantic, and spatial memory, as well as future prospection. By exploring the complementary and unique strengths of these AMA, we will be able to deliver framework to support personalisation of reminiscence technologies |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | AMA-F is currently being piloted. We are aimed at 42 healthy older adults of whom 22 have now completed the interviews. |
| Title | Protocol for judging the quality of reminiscence during technology-driven interventions |
| Description | We want to use all the information we have to make a consistent judgement about the quality of the reminiscence interaction facilitated by AMPER. The aim is to ensure that the data we do have in the trial is able to measure interaction quality as well as possible. The aim is to end up with a combination of trial data from the AMPER logs and carer feedback that can provide proxy measure of quality of the reminiscence interaction which are as good as those that could be drawn from direct observation and assessment of such sessions. This important because AMPER is an app for in home use which support self-administered reminiscence interventions. We need to ensure we have optimal quantitative and qualitative outcome measures to ascertain it safety, acceptability and efficacy. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | We are planning to disseminate this tool in a peer-reviewed publication and make it freely available. However, we need evidence from the proof-of-concept study will run this year to further support the reliability of this new tool. One of the key challenges of scoring and interpreting self-reported data is subjectivity. This undermines inter-rater reliability in multisite studies or in a studies involving several raters, as AMPER. The newly developed tool has shown good levels of inter-rater reliability. This tool can be generalised to other studies which use mixed-methods approaches and the qualitative components relies on thematic analysis or self-reported semi-structured interviews. |
| Title | Prototype of the AMPER app, which has now been tested in a healthy older adults study. |
| Description | A fully functional prototype of AMPER as been developed, subjected to PPIE, tested in a sample of 24 healthy older adults (study data being analysed and prepare for publication) and ready to enter a proof-of-concept trial. This version holds all the features and functionality proposed in our grant. The AI-supported Embodied Conversational Agents ECAs prototypes were tested for their suitability, using scales to measure the reliability of traits and engagement. Natural language processing and multimedia prompts were used to enhance personalisation and contextual relevance. AMPER will now enter the proof-of-concept trail proposed in our protocol. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | AMPER is the first app of its kind that relies on co-design processes and incorporates user-centred design (UCD) and participatory design (PD) methodologies to deliver a technology capable of personalising reminiscence interventions. By drawing from theories of cognitive sciences and using those to inform, using AI, Embodied Conversational Agents (ECAs) AMPER offers a novel way to facilitate this therapy by providing consistent, personalised, and engaging interactions which should support and promote access to personally meaningful memories known to be the backbone of self-identity and self-worth. AMPER has received very positive feedback from patients with dementia (PwD) and their caregiver, and other stakeholders who provide support to PwD via reminiscence methods such as Sporting Memory, a study partner. Also the Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network PPI group has positively commented on AMPER. AMPER was highlighted a significant technological development for PwD in the Annual Report (last year) of the Scottish Dementia Research Consortium (https://www.sdrc.scot/sdrc-annual-report-2022-23-informatics-technology) |
| URL | https://cs4fn.blog/2024/02/05/amper-ai-helping-future-you-remember-past-you/ |
| Description | Partnership with Sporting Memories |
| Organisation | Sporting Memories Foundation |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Sporting Memories meeting January 2025 We presented AMPER and discussed the AMPER clinical study at a Sporting Memories meeting in East Kilbride on 22nd January 2025. This involved around 20 stakeholders (people with dementia diagnoses, carers and volunteers). We then followed this up with an in-depth interview with two Sporting Memories volunteers. |
| Collaborator Contribution | This gave us insights into: The AMPER app: Feedback was combined with results from a study with health older adults. This combined feedback has informed a set of alterations currently being made to the app. The clinical study information: Feedback was gathered on the information form for potential participants. The feedback has been used to improve the readability and clarity of the information sheet which is currently being submitted to the NHS ethics committee. The procedures of the AMPER clinical study: Feedback about how the AMPER app should be presented and demonstrated to participants in the first study session was gathered. This has informed the procedure of the first research session where participants will be introduced to the AMPER app, where they use it for the first time, and then take it home to use it bi-weekly for 12 weeks. The feedback we gathered which is directly influencing the app and clinical study development. This session also helped to strengthen the collaborations between Sporting Memories and the AMPER project. This will allow us to a) visit other Sporting Memories groups in the future to gather more feedback and b) add them as a collaborator on future grants, particularly as a potential delivery partner with the AMPER system being used to facilitate sessions or improve access to memorabilia. |
| Impact | We presented AMPER and discussed the AMPER clinical study at a Sporting Memories meeting in East Kilbride on 22nd January 2025. This involved around 20 stakeholders (people with dementia diagnoses, carers and volunteers). We then followed this up with an in-depth interview with two Sporting Memories volunteers. We are no planning to run this event at other venues of Sporting Memories to allow members of the other clubs interact with AMPER and learn about this new development.l |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | "AI Revolution in Alzheimer's Research and Treatment: Navigating Challenges, Unleashing Potential" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | An opportunity given to the AMPER team to share recent development in artificial intelligence (AI) companions for people with dementia highlighting how the technology will aid memory recollection, boost confidence and combat depression in people living with Alzheimer's Disease and other types of dementia and will also support those who care for them. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://insights.grcglobalgroup.com/ai-revolution-in-alzheimers-research-and-treatment-navigating-ch... |
| Description | "AMPER: AI helping future you remember past you" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | An opportunity given to the AMPER team to share recent development in artificial intelligence (AI) companions for people with dementia highlighting how the technology will aid memory recollection, boost confidence and combat depression in people living with Alzheimer's Disease and other types of dementia and will also support those who care for them. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://cs4fn.blog/2024/02/05/amper-ai-helping-future-you-remember-past-you/ |
| Description | "Balancing act: Ethics and AI in dementia support", (Alzheimer's Scotland, November 2023) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | An opportunity to highlight health related benefits that can be drawn from AI driven technologies. Informing the relevant community of patients and caregiver will increase confidence and trust, thus enabling these technologies to deliver the anticipated benefits. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.alzscot.org/news/balancing-act-ethics-and-ai-in-dementia-support |
| Description | "The role of technology in dementia care" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | An opportunity given to the AMPER team to share recent development in artificial intelligence (AI) companions for people with dementia highlighting how the technology will aid memory recollection, boost confidence and combat depression in people living with Alzheimer's Disease and other types of dementia and will also support those who care for them. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.healthcaredm.co.uk/the-role-of-technology-in-dementia-care |
| Description | AI in Healthcare: Aiding Dementia and Alzheimer Patients |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | An opportunity given to the AMPER team to share recent development in artificial intelligence (AI) companions for people with dementia highlighting how the technology will aid memory recollection, boost confidence and combat depression in people living with Alzheimer's Disease and other types of dementia and will also support those who care for them. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.goodfirms.co/blog/ai-in-healthcare-industry |
| Description | AMPER Steering Committee |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | AMPERE Steering Committee meeting involving NHS stakeholders and representatives of dementia-related organisations |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | AMPER Steering Committee Meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This was the second meeting of the AMPER Steering Committee. Progress and actions to address feedback were discussed. Further insights were gathered towards the development of the next staged of AMPR. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | AMPER Steering Committee Meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The co-creation session aimed to gather input on the practicality/feasibility of the initial AMPER design. Low fidelity prototype of various characters were presented to find out what type would be the most appropriate for the target group. Members of the committee were also be presented with an overview of the interaction flow on how the interaction might look like to promote discussions and identify any potential problems. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | AMPER: How will it help and how it can be improved |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Patients, carers and/or patient groups |
| Results and Impact | There were around 15-20 attendees at the meeting (majority men). That is including the 4 volunteers organising the session and 2 OT students. A few of the people I spoke to (who weren't volunteers organising the session) said they did not have Alzheimer's disease but come to help out. I'm unsure about the proportion of people with a dementia diagnosis vs. carers/volunteers but we can find out at follow up meeting if relevant. Everybody who wanted to had a chance to use Participant saw a demonstration of AMPER and had the opportunity to interact with it in couple. They also read the information sheet we will use in the proof-of-concept study. Everybody saw the presentation, video and demo at the beginning of the session. One person with communication difficulties was helped to give feedback by a volunteer. There were likely others who did not complete a feedback form, but hopefully we can gather some of their feedback from our collective notes. The feedback about the information sheet was quite positive - it is possible understanding was aided by the presentation and demo being first. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | ARUK Outreach Event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This year ARUK held the Outreach event alongside their Annual Conference in Aberdeen, March 11-14. The outreach event held at the Union Square Shopping Centre at Aberdeen allowed us to engage the general public with our proposed technologies. We have around 100 members of the public trying our new technology and interacting with us via various activities such as memory journey (autobiographical memory), rating digital characters and speaking to a robot. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/research/for-researchers/research-conference/ |
| Description | Allow Me To Tell You A Story My Child |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Glasgow Science Festival 10th-11th June 2024 From psychology aspect, we are going to focus on autobiographic memory where we will ask people to plot on a chart about their best memory based on themes. On the left column, they will put colour coded (based on themes) stickers of their best memory with their age written on it. On the right column, they will use matching colour sticky notes to write 2-3 details about that memory. I have attached the draft chart to give you an idea. What they get out of it: we are making them aware that by recalling a memory, we are reinforcing it. From the technical side, we will let them experience short interactions (reminiscing a historical event - e.g. lockdown) with the virtual agent and/or the robot and let us know their experience. What they get out of it: We are making them aware that embodiment can affect interaction experience. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Allow me to tell you a story (Explorathon 2024) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Autobiographical memory (AM) refers to memories about personal events and facts about ourselves. This allows people to maintain and update an ever changing record of personal and public events that are integrated into a coherent and meaningful life story. AM provides us with a sense of "self" enabling us to relive an event and bring back memories from the past. AM is compromised in individuals with Alzheimer's Disease (AD); they tend to become withdrawn and depressed due to communication problems and loss of confidence. Reminiscence is a tool that allows people to retrieve these meaningful life stories via particular cues and this happens through AM. Inspired by individuals with AD, this showcase focuses on reminiscing about the past, encouraging people to share stories about their life experiences and relive an event. Visitors will be invited to interact with AMPER; a novel technology aiming to deliver personalised reminiscence, combining knowledge from cognitive and computer sciences. AMPER is building a technological bridge to unique life experiences and aiding recollection. AMPER relies on a digital character who prompts participants to recall their past experiences and recreate their stories from life events. In this demonstration, participants will be invited to interact with such characters via a touch screen tablet whilst they are presented with memorabilia in visual and audio format. The goal is to explore participant views about these characters and their approach to help retrieve peoples' stories. There is no set time-limit for the activity, but we do not anticipate the interaction to take more than ten minutes. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.explorathon.co.uk/events-programme/explorathon-the-riverside-museum/ |
| Description | BBC Radio 4 - Digital Human - Reminiscence |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | An opportunity given to the AMPER team to share recent development in artificial intelligence (AI) companions for people with dementia highlighting how the technology will aid memory recollection, boost confidence and combat depression in people living with Alzheimer's Disease and other types of dementia and will also support those who care for them. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001sd5w |
| Description | Celebrating Scottish Research: Conference 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | An introduction to AMPER focusing on the reminiscence support agent, co-creation process, and the AMPER app, ending with the current state and future plans. Audience: all the different partners and volunteers from the different organisations. AMPER is considered a key project linked to the Informatics and Technology Theme of the Scottish Dementia Research Consortium: See Annual Report: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.sdrc.scot/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SDRC-Report-2023-24.pdf |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/celebrating-scottish-research-conference-2024-tickets-862319780677?af... |
| Description | Clinical Seminar to discuss interdisciplinary collaboration to support AMPER |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Three NHS Consultants from Forth valley and one from Edinburgh, three academics at the level of Reader/Professorship, one PhD student and two postdocs participated in a clinical seminar aimed at sharing the project with relevant practitioners and collaborators and gather feedback about who the team could engage relevant participants and recruit them into the study. The meeting raise awareness about the role the new technology will play to support patients and carers and the support that will be needed to ensure the team deliver the proposed targets. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Daily Express visit to the National Robotarium |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | An opportunity given to the AMPER team to share recent development in artificial intelligence (AI) companions for people with dementia highlighting how the technology will aid memory recollection, boost confidence and combat depression in people living with Alzheimer's Disease and other types of dementia and will also support those who care for them. The team provided a hands-on experience by showcasing developments in embodied agents and graphical characters. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Digital Reminiscence Therapy for individual with Alzheimer's Disease |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | AMPER is a multidisciplinary project involving a team of computer scientists at HWU and a team of psychologist at Strathclyde Our stakeholders consist of various dementia research centre, the NHS, industry experts, charity organisation and volunteers. Reminiscence Therapy has exhibited positive results in people with dementia. RT involves discussing events and experiences from the past and aims to evoke memories, stimulate mental activity, improve well-being and helps with depression. It uses props such as videos, pictures and objects to assist with the reminiscence experience. The aim of the intervention is to restore access to those lost memories or at least, maintain the available pool of autobiographical memories, so as to slow down progression of the disease in a way. Biographies calm and cheer AD individuals and create awareness in family members of their loved one's past, enabling them to better accept the disease. AMPER aims to create personalised reminiscence in a digital environment where the experience is facilitated by a digital character agent. While most cognitive prostheses focus on compensatory (physical aid) and restorative (repetitive reminding) techniques, AMPER aims to create a novel socially-located psychosocial intervention technology that meets the social and emotional needs of AD individuals. People with AD experience very different symptoms that require different responses. Sensitivity to the person's needs will help them to cope better. Additionally, the way information is stored and retrieved often depends on how important the information is to the specific individual. This means specific recollection strategies may work better or worse. AMPER investigates a variation of context-based delivery and narrative strategies, adapting (e.g. interaction modes and length) to the changing needs of different AD individuals at different times. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/research/for-researchers/network-centres/scotland-network-centr... |
| Description | Falkirk Science Festival (May 2023) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This will take place between 10th-27th May 2023. They're looking for researchers to get involved in their vibrant 2023 programme which will consist of a range of formats. There will be a variety of opportunities to get involved with , specifically expanding our Borrow A Researcher series out towards Falkirk Libraries. There will also be events taking place at the Helix, home of the Kelpies, as well as STEM and school opportunities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Invited talk at Technologies for Brain Health and Dementia Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk on AMPER and AI technologies for the Technologies for Brain Health and Dementia Workshop |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.dhi-scotland.com/news/haic13140622-full-event/ |
| Description | Meeting with Stirling NHS unit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of and scission of AMPER project with medical personnel at Stirling Hospital |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | NRS Neuroprogressive & Dementia Network Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This was the Annual Conference of the Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network. This events brings together various stakeholders all relevant to AMPER. We presented ourt project and gather significant feedback. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.sdrc.scot/nrs-ndn-conference |
| Description | Participation in Sporting Memories Reminiscing Sessions |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Patients, carers and/or patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Sporting Memories is a partner of AMPER. Their reminiscing sessions are a fruitful space where members of our team are learning how with patients with dementia interact during reminiscing sessions using sporting memories. We are planning to rely on such evidence to foster meaningful interactions with with patients with dementia and their carers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2023 |
| Description | Poster at ISRE 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Poster on AMPER presented at the International Society for Research on Emotion (ISRE) conference in July 2022 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://custom.cvent.com/eb3acbcf8ae748c790a765242908e8b1/files/event/958d5907c2f64e2da7837e2ec267fc... |
| Description | Showcase at National Robotarium, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer and Chief Scientific Officer |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The Chief Allied Health Professions Officer and Chief Scientific Officer of Scotland visites the National Robotarium on 13th Feb at 11am 2025 to observe and discuss demos from researchers developing new technologies to address health and social care challenges. Approximately 15 people attended and collaboration and funding opportunities were discussed. There will be follow up meeting to set up new collaboration and explore support. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Technology-supported reminiscence therapy for people living with Dementia |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Think Tank Dec 13th 2024 (30 people, US academic and industrial) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://c2ship.org/events/think-tank-17/ |
| Description | Times interview "Another team is working on an AI that will show dementia patients archive photographs of events from their formative years to help them reminisce." |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | An opportunity given to the AMPER team to share recent development in artificial intelligence (AI) companions for people with dementia highlighting how the technology will aid memory recollection, boost confidence and combat depression in people living with Alzheimer's Disease and other types of dementia and will also support those who care for them. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/inside-the-robotarium-building-companions-for-our-old-age-jc5fnm0... |
| Description | Workshop on Technologies for Brain Health and Dementia Prevention |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The Scottish Dementia Research Consortium (SDRC) and the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) hosted a two-day event that encapsulated keynote speakers and interactive workshop sessions, which focused on technologies for brain health and dementia prevention. This collaborative event was classified as the June 2022 Healthy Ageing Innovation Cluster Event. We shared AMPER with this diverse audience. They all agree this new technology has transformative power but will need significant co-production efforts. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.dhi-scotland.com/news/haic13140622-full-event/ |