Robot companion may soothe pain in dementia patients during care
NCT ID NCT03591822
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether a social robot called PARO could help prevent pain during nursing care for elderly people with moderate to severe dementia. Ten participants living in nursing homes were given sessions with the PARO robot during care. The goal was to see if the robot could distract and relax patients, reducing signs of acute pain. The study also looked at effects on quality of life, medication use, and caregiver workload.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- PARO therapeutic robot (a social robot that responds to touch and sound)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a drug-free way to ease pain and anxiety during daily care for people with dementia.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 10 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The robot may not work for all patients or situations.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Hôpital Broca
Paris, 75013, France
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Résidence Mutualiste " L'adret "
Bellegarde-en-Forez, 42210, France
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Résidence Mutualiste " La Cerisaie "
Saint-Etienne, 42000, France
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Résidence Mutualiste " Les Tilleuls "
La Grand-Croix, 43320, France
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Résidence Mutualiste " Marie Lagrevol "
Saint-Just-Malmont, 43240, France
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