“ToM and Pepper Lab”, Robotics for Cognitive Stimulation and Social Skills: A Preliminary Study

Dementia affects over 55 million people globally, with early cognitive decline, such as Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), often preceding neurodegenerative diseases. This decline impairs memory, attention, and Theory of Mind (ToM). Early intervention is crucial, and assistive robotics has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological approach in this regard. This preliminary study evaluated the acceptability of the social robot Pepper and tested the structured cognitive and socio-cognitive training delivered by the robot. Nine participants, aged 68 to 93, ranging from mild to moderate dementia, were engaged in a four-week training program. A qualitative analysis of the interviews and video recordings of the training sessions was conducted. Results showed high participant engagement, increased autonomy and focus, and positive emotional responses. These data are promising in demonstrating structured training implemented in social robots has the potential to positively impact cognitive function and emotional well-being through structured training.