Robot-Assisted Meditation for Older Adults With Cognitive Concerns

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Conditions studied: Cognitive Impairment, Sleep

In brief

While traditional app-based mindfulness meditation programs relying solely on audio guidance have shown potential benefits for older adults, the apps often face challenges such as low compliance. Participants frequently report difficulties in maintaining focus during meditation sessions, which can limit its effectiveness in improving outcomes such as stress reduction and sleep quality. Recognizing these limitations, this study explores whether a haptic-enabled handheld robot can enhance meditation practices by providing both haptic and audio guidance. The robot, designed to foster sustained attention and encourage rhythmic breathing, may offer a novel, multidimensional approach that addresses compliance issues and supports deeper engagement in mindfulness meditation. The study primarily seeks to answer the question: Does robot-guided meditation, combining both haptic and audio guidance, improve the sleep quality of older adults living alone with subjective cognitive decline more effectively than traditional audio-based mindfulness meditation guidance? Furthermore, the study examines a secondary question: Is the effect of robot-guided meditation on sleep quality mediated by reductions in stress? By investigating these questions, the research aims to offer insights into whether haptic-enabled meditation technology can overcome common barriers to mindfulness practices among older adults and serve as an innovative tool to improve physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT07435220
Run by: Johns Hopkins University
People needed: 100
Starts: 2026-11-01
Expected to finish: 2027-12-31
Last updated by the study team: 2026-06-23

Who can join

Age: 65 and older, up to 80. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

Participants have subjective cognitive decline, assessed using the Subjective Cognitive Decline Questionnaire (SCD-Q)

You may not qualify if…

Participants do not have dementia or mild cognitive impairment.
To exclude significant cognitive impairment, investigators will utilize the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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