Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27716673›Full record

Trial reportJournal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD2017

The Utilization of Robotic Pets in Dementia Care.

Sandra Petersen, Susan Houston, Huanying Qin, Corey Tague, Jill Studley

Registry-linked trialOpen access · hybridAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06683443 (Assessing the Effects of Robotic Pets on Patients With Dementia in the Acute Care Hospital Setting), which is not on this map. Cited by 97 papers, 17 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
97citing papers in PubMed, 17 pooled it
19.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06683443 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2024, after this paper: background citation

Assessing the Effects of Robotic Pets on Patients With Dementia in the Acute Care Hospital Setting

TypeinterventionalSponsorSarasota Memorial Health Care SystemRan2024 to 2025Enrolled106ConditionsDementia, DeliriumArmsRobotic Joy for All™ pet
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

97 citing papers in PubMed, 17 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 293 citations in OpenAlex.

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  6. Effectiveness of Group Interventions With Socially-Assistive Robots for Older Adults: A Systematic Review.Journal of nursing scholarship : an official publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing · 2025
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  19. Effect of a Robot Pet Companion on the Mood of Older Adults Receiving Family Caregiver Support: Pilot RCT.The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry · 2026
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  20. A Randomized Trial Using PARO with Minimal Caregiver Involvement on Older Adults with Dementia in Group Homes.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026
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37 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Sandra PetersenThe University of Texas at Tyler, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Tyler, TX, USA.
Susan HoustonBaylor Scott & White Health Care System Office of the CNO, Plano, TX, USA.
Huanying QinBaylor Scott & White Health Care System, Dallas, TX, USA.
Corey TagueACH Health Services, Hurst, TX, USA.
Jill StudleyBaylor Elder HouseCalls, Dallas, TX, USA.
Baylor Scott & White Health · USBaylor University · USThe University of Texas at Tyler · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBehavioral problems may affect individuals with dementia, increasing the cost and burden of care. Pet therapy has been known to be emotionally beneficial for many years. Robotic pets have been shown to have similar positive effects without the negative aspects of traditional pets. Robotic pet therapy offers an alternative to traditional pet therapy.

objectiveThe study rigorously assesses the effectiveness of the PARO robotic pet, an FDA approved biofeedback device, in treating dementia-related symptoms.

methodsA randomized block design with repeated measurements guided the study. Before and after measures included reliable, valid tools such as: RAID, CSDD, GDS, pulse rate, pulse oximetry, and GSR. Participants interacted with the PARO robotic pet, and the control group received standard activity programs. Five urban secure dementia units comprised the setting.

results61 patients, with 77% females, average 83.4 years in age, were randomized into control and treatment groups. Compared to the control group, RAID, CSDD, GSR, and pulse oximetry were increased in the treatment group, while pulse rate, pain medication, and psychoactive medication use were decreased. The changes in GSR, pulse oximetry, and pulse rate over time were plotted for both groups. The difference between groups was consistent throughout the 12-week study for pulse oximetry and pulse rate, while GSR had several weeks when changes were similar between groups.

conclusionsTreatment with the PARO robot decreased stress and anxiety in the treatment group and resulted in reductions in the use of psychoactive medications and pain medications in elderly clients with dementia.

Indexed as

Aged, 80 and overAnimal Assisted TherapyBiofeedback, PsychologyDementiaFemaleHumansMalePsychiatric Status Rating ScalesRoboticsTreatment OutcomeAnimal assisted therapybiofeedbackdementiapsychologyrobotics

Identifiers

PMID27716673
PMCPMC5181659
OpenAlexW2529469190

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.