People with dementia often experience loneliness and social isolation. This can result in increased cognitive decline which, in turn, has a negative impact on quality of life. This paper explores the use of the social robot, MARIO, with older people living with dementia as a way of addressing these issues. A descriptive qualitative study was conducted to explore the perceptions and experiences of the use and impact of MARIO. The research took place in the UK, Italy and Ireland. Semi-structured interviews were held in each location with people with dementia (n = 38), relatives/carers (n = 28), formal carers (n = 28) and managers (n = 13). The data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The findings revealed that despite challenges in relation to voice recognition and the practicalities of conducting research involving robots in real-life settings, most participants were positive about MARIO. Through the robot’s user-led design and personalized applications, MARIO provided a point of interest, social activities, and cognitive engagement increased. However, some formal carers and managers voiced concern that robots might replace care staff.

The current study focuses on the short-term effect of MARIO, a social robot, on quality of life, depression, and perceived social support in persons with dementia (PWD) and evaluates their acceptability of MARIO. Ten PWD in one nursing home took part in a 4-week pilot study, where each participant had up to 12 sessions with MARIO. Sessions comprised engagement in music, news, reminiscence, games, and calendar applications. Standardized questionnaires were administered before and after the 4-week period. Participants had a sustained interest in MARIO during their interactions and an acceptance of MARIO's appearance, sound, and applications. Consequently, participants spent more time socially engaged. No statistically significant differences were found in quality of life, depression, and perceived social support.PWD can engage with a social robot in a real-world nursing home. Future research should incorporate a larger sample and longer intervention period. connect them with their family, their pastimes and the outside world. The initial design of MARIO's applications was also based on four key principles: (i) the applications are individualised, (ii) the applications offer choice, (iii) the applications can prompt the individual and (iv) the applications are simple and intuitive to use. The applications underwent an iterative process of user-driven development, which involved testing several iterations of the applications with PLWD and using their feedback to further refine the applications. This paper presents the results of the final evaluation of MARIO carried out in the X (identifying information) nursing home setting. The aims of the pilot study were (i) to evaluate the acceptability, functionality and usability of MARIO to PLWD in a nursing home, as well as any potential ethical issues, from the perspective of the PLWD interacting with MARIO and the researcher observing the interactions and (ii) to explore the short-term effect of MARIO on quality of life, depression and perceived social support of PLWD. Methods DesignThis study was a single group, pre-post, pilot study. It was carried out in one purposively selected nursing home, containing 100 beds, in rural X (identifying information). Quantitative data was collected from PLWD, on quality of life, depression and social support, at baseline and directly after a four-week intervention period. These outcomes were established to be important for measuring the effect of psychosocial interventions for PLWD (Moniz-Cook et al., 2008). The study received ethical approval from the Research Ethics Committee of X (identifying information).

Background: In the EU funded MARIO project, specific technological tools are adopted for the people living with dementia (PLWD). In the final stage of the project, a validation of the MARIO companion robot was performed from August to October 2017. Objective:The aims of the present study are: 1) to illustrate the key results and evidence obtained in the final evaluation phase of the project across the three different pilot sites; 2) to assess the engagement dimensions of the PLWD who interacted with the MARIO robot; and 3) to assess the acceptability and efficacy of the MARIO companion robot on clinical, cognitive, neuropsychiatric, affective and social aspects, resilience, quality of life in PLWD, and burden level of the caregivers. Methods: 38 people (M = 14; F = 24) with Alzheimer's disease were screened for eligibility and all were included. The following tests were administered Pre and Post interactions with MARIO: Observational Measurement of Engagement (OME), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clock Drawing Test (CDT), Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), 14-item Resilience Scale (RS-14), Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease (QOL-AD), Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI), Tinetti Balance Assessment (TBA), and Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) was carried out. Results: In Post-MARIO interactions, significant improvements were observed in RS-14 (p = 0.020).Considering the age of the people, PLWD with 68-76 years perceived that they had major social support (MSPSS Total: p = 0.016) and friends to support them (MSPSS Fri: p = 0.014). Indeed, the younger people (55-67 years) were less depressed (CSDD: p = 0.033), and more resilient (RS-14: p = 0.003). The people aged 77-85 years perceived they had major family support (MSPSS Fam: p = 0.018). The participants were gender and education matched without any statistically significant difference.

Social robots are being developed to support care given to older adults (OA), people with dementia (PWD) and OA with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by facilitating their independence and wellbeing. The successful deployment of robots should be guided by knowledge of factors which affect acceptability. This paper critically reviews empirical studies which have explored how acceptability issues impact OA, PWD and OA with MCI. The aim is to identify the factors governing acceptability, to ascertain what is likely to improve acceptability and make recommendations for future research. A search of the literature published between 2005 and 2015 revealed a relatively small body of relevant work has been conducted focusing on the acceptability of robots by PWD or OA with MCI (n=21), and on acceptability for OA (n=23). The findings are presented using constructs from the Almere robot acceptance model. They reveal acceptance of robots is affected by multiple interacting factors, pertaining to the individual, significant others and the wider society. Acceptability can be improved through robots using humanlike communication, being personalised in response to individual users' needs and including issues of trust and control of the robot which relates to degrees of robot adaptivity. However, most studies are of short duration, have small sample sizes and some do not involve actual robot usage or are conducted in laboratories rather than in real world contexts. Larger randomised controlled studies, conducted in the context where robots will be deployed, are needed to investigate how acceptance factors are affected when humans use robots for longer periods of time and become habituated to them.

Introduction: Similarities between the clinical presentation of individuals living with spinal cord injury (SCI) and astronauts are remarkable, and may be of great interest to clinicians and scientists alike. Objectives: The primary purpose of this review is to outline the manner in which cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, renal, immune and sensory motor systems are affected by microgravity and SCI. Methods: A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted (using PubMed) to evaluate the hallmark symptoms seen after spaceflight and SCI. This literature was then examined critically to determine symptoms common to both populations. Results: Both SCI and prolonged microgravity exposure are associated with marked deteriorations in various physiological functions. Atrophy in muscle and bone, cardiovascular disturbances, and alterations in renal, immune and sensory motor systems are conditions commonly observed not only in individuals with SCI, but also in those who experience prolonged gravity unloading. Conclusion: The preponderance of data indicates that similar physiological changes occur in both SCI and prolonged space flight. These findings have important implications for future research in SCI and prolonged space flight.