Robot companions may shield aging caregivers from frailty
NCT ID NCT07740031
First seen Jul 31, 2026 · Last updated Jul 31, 2026
Summary
This study focuses on middle-aged and older spousal caregivers, who often face high stress and health decline. Researchers are developing a tool to predict frailty risk and testing a virtual social robot that guides caregivers through 20-minute sessions three times a week for six weeks. The goal is to see if this robot-assisted program is feasible, acceptable, and helpful in reducing frailty risk. The study also includes a wait-list control group for comparison.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Virtual social robot-assisted intervention
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide a practical tool to identify caregivers at high risk of frailty and offer a home-based, robot-assisted program to help them stay healthier and more resilient.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early feasibility study with a small number of participants, so results may not apply broadly. The robot intervention may not be acceptable or effective for all caregivers, and the risk model needs further validation.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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50 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * aged 50 years or older * currently being a spouse caregiver * assessed as being at high risk level frailty by the developed online risk calculator * being able to use the social robot through a smartphone or tablet, either independently or with necessary guidance * willing to sign informed consent and participate in study Exclusion Criteria: * those with acute mental disorders or disabling diseases that may limit the practice of engaging with a robot * acute disease attack or acute medical condition * currently participating in another intervention or clinical trial * who have limited access to electricity, which would make it hard for them to use technology at home
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
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