Efficacy of Gamification in Enhancing User Engagement

MapHabit

Status: Completed

Conditions: Gamification; Alzheimer Disease; Dementia; Assistive Technology

Treatments: Device: The MapHabit system (MHS)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Industry; Other

Identifiers

NCT05422339

Gamification Study (NIH PH II)

Details and patient eligibility

About

As part of Phase II of the NIH SBIR grant, the study will conduct a randomized controlled clinical trial in which the MapHabit system's gamification is investigated to determine whether the assistive technology facilitates user engagement and retention. Additionally, the study will examine if the gamified software improves the quality of life of persons with dementia and reduce the burden of the respective care partners. Participants will be individuals with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias in mild to moderate stage of cognitive impairment, accompanied by their respective primary care partner (i.e., primary familial caregiver). The study will be a randomized controlled clinical trial, in which two conditions will be investigated: 1) experimental condition in which MHS+Gamification is implemented into the daily care received by participants 2) control condition in which the MHS alone and separate engagement material is incorporated into the participant's daily care. Sample size goal will strive for a total of 40 individual-caregiver dyads, 20 in each condition. The study duration will be a 6-month intervention.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Individual diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or other related dementia (ADRD) in their mild to moderate stage of impairment
• Participating caregiver of individual with dementia must be the primary caregiver
• Proficient in English

Exclusion criteria

• Individual not diagnosed with ADRD
• Participating caregiver of individual with dementia is NOT the primary caregiver
• Not proficient in English

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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60 participants in 2 patient groups

Gamified Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

This condition involved the implementation of an assistive technology software (the MapHabit system) with added gamification features into the daily care of the participants. The experimental condition received the version that incorporates gamified content and structure. Gamification involved receiving four new cognitive games each month. The cognitive games that were chosen for the current study followed game types observed to be prevalent in literature centered on serious games within dementia research. These games aim for cognitive stimulation in slowing down symptom acuity. Game design elements of positive reinforcement, problem-solving, progression, and visual cues were implemented into game content and software.

Treatment:

Device: The MapHabit system (MHS)

Non-gamified Intervention

Active Comparator group

Description:

This control condition acted as the active comparator to the experimental condition. The same assistive technology, the MapHabit system, will be given to a separate group of participants with mild to moderate stage of ADRD. The difference here will be that the software will be a version that does not include gamification features. The Control Group watched several 40 to 55-minute educational videos that were sent to the participants' devices each month. The content involved topics such as Happiness, Memory, Nutrition/Diet, and Mindfulness. The intent was to have the two groups engaged for about equal lengths of time in each of their respective interventions.

Treatment:

Device: The MapHabit system (MHS)