AMPER Proof of Concept Study

Summary

The AMPER (Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing) system has been built to help people with Alzheimer's disease by improving their memory recall and quality of life. Alzheimer's often leads to the loss of autobiographical memories, which can affect a person's sense of identity. AMPER seeks to address this by creating a digital memory aid that uses an engaging, animated character on a tablet to help individuals with Alzheimer's reminisce about their past. By presenting personally relevant stories, images, audio, and videos, the character helps trigger memories and encourages interaction with caregivers.

This is proof of concept study using a randomised controlled trial methodology. Twenty participants will be randomised to the control and 20 randomised to the intervention condition. The intervention group will use a personalised version of the AMPER app with tailored content and the control group will use a non-personalised version without specific adaptations. Over 12 weeks, participants will use the app at home with their caregivers. Researchers will measure changes in their memory and cognitive abilities before and after these 12 weeks.

The primary goal is to see if personalised reminiscence improves the perceived quality of the reminiscence experience and autobiographical memory ability compared to the same app with a non-personalised approach. This will be measured using a combination of automatically gathered app use data and weekly caregiver feedback. Secondary goals are to investigate any difference between participants in the intervention and control condition in their technology acceptance, quality of life, self-esteem, everyday functioning and cognitive ability.

Feedback from this research will help refine AMPER and inform future studies, with the ultimate goal of creating a widely accessible tool that supports memory and well-being in Alzheimer's patients. Table 1 provides a summary of the study.

Conditions

• Alzheimer's Dementia (AD)

Interventions

DEVICE

Personalised Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER)

AMPER has an embodied agent (CGI character) who will ask questions about various memory cues such as pictures, audio files and videos from a BBC reminiscence archive (https://remarc.bbcrewind.co.uk/) to bring to the surface memories residing in the still viable regions of the brain. Personalised AMPER is personalised to preferences and age of the participant.

DEVICE

Non-Personalised Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER)

AMPER has an embodied agent (CGI character) who will ask questions about various memory cues such as pictures, audio files and videos from a BBC reminiscence archive (https://remarc.bbcrewind.co.uk/) to bring to the surface memories residing in the still viable regions of the brain. Non-personliased AMPER is not personalised to preferences or age of the participant.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Strathclyde

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

QUADRUPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

50 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-04-01

Primary Completion

2026-02-28

Completion

2026-02-28

Countries

• United Kingdom

Study Locations