A Pilot Study on the Comparison of Prefrontal Cortex Activities of Robotic Therapies on Elderly with Mild Cognitive Impairment

TL;DR

This pilot randomized study investigates how cognitive training (CT) and reminiscence therapy (RT), delivered by either humans or socially assistive robots (SARs), affect prefrontal cortex activation in elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure oxyhemoglobin changes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during encoding and retrieval, the authors compare robot-led and human-led modalities across CT and RT. The key findings show no significant differences in DLPFC activation between robot- and human-led CT, while RT and CT produce distinct brain activation patterns, particularly in the left DLPFC during encoding and retrieval; RT retrieval tends to activate the DLPFC, whereas CT encoding deactivates it. The results support SARs as feasible therapy-delivery options for MCI and reveal modality- and therapy-specific neural engagement, though the small sample size and pilot nature warrant further, larger studies to generalize these findings.

Abstract

Demographic shifts have led to an increase in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and this study investigates the effects of cognitive training (CT) and reminiscence therapy (RT) conducted by humans or socially assistive robots (SARs) on prefrontal cortex activation in elderly individuals with MCI, aiming to determine the most effective therapy-modality combination for promoting cognitive function. This pilot study employs a randomized control trial (RCT) design. Additionally, the study explores the efficacy of Reminiscence Therapy (RT) in comparison to Cognitive Training (CT). Eight MCI subjects, with a mean age of 70.125 years, were randomly assigned to ``human-led'' or ``SAR-led'' groups. Utilizing Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure oxy-hemoglobin concentration changes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), the study found no significant differences in the effects of human-led and SAR-led cognitive training on DLPFC activation. However, distinct patterns emerged in memory encoding and retrieval phases between RT and CT, shedding light on the impacts of these interventions on brain activation in the context of MCI.

Figures (5)

• Figure 1: Study Procedure
• Figure 2: Procedure of the "Story" session
• Figure 3: Robot-led Intervention with the fNIRS Measurement
• Figure 4: Grouping of the NIRSIT Channels based on the Brodmann Areas
• Figure 5: Summary of the RoSAS