Robot-Assisted Meditation for Older Adults With Cognitive Concerns

August 27, 2026 updated by: Johns Hopkins University

Investigating the Effects of Haptic Robot Meditation on Perceived Stress in Older Adults With Cognitive Concerns

While traditional app-based mindfulness meditation programs relying solely on audio guidance have shown potential benefits for older adults, the programs often face challenges such as low engagement. 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. To address these limitations, this study examines whether a haptic robot that provides both tactile and audio guidance can enhance meditation. The robot's expansion and contraction movements help users pace and sustain rhythmic breathing, while gentle vibrations signal phase transitions without disrupting concentration. These haptic features are intended to anchor attention and support a more embodied practice.

The study primarily seeks to answer the following questions: Does a haptic enabled meditation intervention reduce perceived stress in older adults living alone with subjective cognitive decline more effectively than an audio only mindfulness meditation guidance provided by a non-moving robot? To what extent does enhanced attentional anchoring mediate the intervention's effect on perceived stress in this population? By addressing these questions, the research aims to determine whether haptic enabled meditation technology can overcome common barriers to mindfulness practice among older adults and serve as an innovative tool to reduce perceived stress, and ultimately improve their sleep quality and physical, emotional, and cognitive well being.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

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.

Aim 1: This aim will evaluate the effectiveness of robot-guided meditation, a novel approach that combines haptic feedback and audio guidance, in reducing stress levels among older adults living alone with subjective cognitive decline. Stress levels will be measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The haptic-enabled intervention aims to enhance focus, engagement, and stress reduction more effectively than audio-only methods, addressing challenges like low adherence and distraction in mindfulness practices.

Aim 2: This aim explores the role of stress reduction as a mediator between robot-guided meditation and improved sleep quality. Sleep will be assessed through the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Fitbit data, measuring self-reported and objective sleep outcomes like restlessness and time awake. The study will clarify whether reduced stress drives better sleep outcomes.

Aim 3: This aim will examine adherence to and usability of the robot-guided meditation intervention. Adherence will be tracked through self-reported practice logs and usage data. By evaluating how older adults interact with and engage with this technology, the study will provide insights into the practicality of implementing this approach for individuals experiencing subjective cognitive decline.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

100

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

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

Exclusion Criteria:

  • 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).

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Robot-Guided
A handheld robot provides daily mindfulness meditation sessions that include both haptic and audio guidance.
Behavioral: Robot-Guided Meditation
A handheld robot provides daily mindfulness meditation sessions that include both haptic and audio guidance.
Active Comparator: Non-Moving Robot
Participants use the same robot, which remains stationary (no haptic movement) and provides audio-only daily meditation sessions.
Behavioral: Audio-Only Robot
Participants use the same robot, which remains stationary (no haptic movement) and provides audio-only daily meditation sessions.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Stress level as assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)
Time Frame: Baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks
Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The total score ranges 0 to 40. Low Stress: 0-13; Moderate Stress: 14-26; High Stress: 27-40. A higher score indicates a higher level of perceived stress.
Baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sleep quality as assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)
Time Frame: Baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The total score range 0 to 21, where a score greater than 5 indicates poor sleep quality. A higher score indicates worse sleep quality.
Baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks
Anxiety as assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7)
Time Frame: Baseline, week 4, week 8
Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7). The total score ranges from 0 to 21. A score of 10 or higher is often used as a cutoff suggesting clinically significant anxiety. A higher score indicates worse anxiety.
Baseline, week 4, week 8

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Adherence
Time Frame: From enrollment up to end of treatment at 8 weeks
Adherence is defined as the number of days a participant completes the required meditation sessions. Adherence will be tracked through self-reported practice logs and usage data.
From enrollment up to end of treatment at 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Johns Hopkins University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Chien-Ming Huang, PhD, Johns Hopkins University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

November 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

October 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 20, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 20, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

February 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 31, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 27, 2026

Last Verified

August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • IRB00549847

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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