Alzheimer's Dementia (AD)AMPERNCT06894953
AMPER Proof of Concept Study
A study testing Personalised Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER) and Non-Personalised Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER) in people with Alzheimer's Dementia (AD), run by University of Strathclyde at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
The AMPER (Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing) system has been built to help people with Alzheimer's disease by improving their memory recall and quality of life. Alzheimer's often leads to the loss of autobiographical memories, which can affect a person's sense of identity. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 50 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Alzheimer's Dementia (AD)
- What is being tested?
- Personalised Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER) and Non-Personalised Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER)
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine, Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 40 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 1 Apr 2025to 28 Feb 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 50 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease of mild to moderate severity according to DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition) and NINCS-ADRAD (National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke-Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association) criteria.
- Age 50 or older
- Sensory (visual and auditory), language, and physical abilities adequate to perform assessments (corrective aids allowed).
- ACE III score between 20 and 82 (inclusive) (or equivalent score on MMSE (between 14 and 24, based on Law et al., 20123 equivalence data) or MOCHA (between 14 and 24 (based on Pendleberry et al., 2011 equivalence data).
- Having a caregiver or family member who can attend all visits, perform assessments, and supervise administration of study.
Who cannot join
- Medical records indicate AD patients with the visual variant or having colour vision deficits.
- Medical records indicate a CT or MRI within 24 months prior to screening that indicates a diagnosis other than probable Alzheimer's disease.
- Medical records indicate any significant neurological disease other than probable AD (e.g. Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, brain tumor, normal pressure hydrocephalus, progressive supranuclear palsy, seizure disorder, subdural hematoma, multiple sclerosis, history of stroke, or history of head injury requiring hospitalization).
- On review of medical records, no clinically significant abnormal findings on previous physical examination, medical history, or clinical laboratory results that would indicate an alternative diagnosis.
- Current history of major psychiatric disorder (e.g. Major depression) (as indicated on medical records)
- History of substance misuse (as indicated on medical records).
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United Kingdom1 site
University of Strathclyde
Glasgow
Matthew Jamieson, +44 7717780272, matthew.jamieson@strath.ac.uk
Mario Parra, PhD, mario.parra-rodriguez@strath.ac.uk
About this study
Official title: Proof of Concept Study of the Personalised AMPER System (Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing).
The AMPER (Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing) system has been built to help people with Alzheimer's disease by improving their memory recall and quality of life. Alzheimer's often leads to the loss of autobiographical memories, which can affect a person's sense of identity. AMPER seeks to address this by creating a digital memory aid that uses an engaging, animated character on a tablet to help individuals with Alzheimer's reminisce about their past. By presenting personally relevant stories, images, audio, and videos, the character helps trigger memories and encourages interaction with caregivers.
This is proof of concept study using a randomised controlled trial methodology. Twenty participants will be randomised to the control and 20 randomised to the intervention condition. The intervention group will use a personalised version of the AMPER app with tailored content and the control group will use a non-personalised version without specific adaptations. Over 12 weeks, participants will use the app at home with their caregivers. Researchers will measure changes in their memory and cognitive abilities before and after these 12 weeks.
Read more
The primary goal is to see if personalised reminiscence improves the perceived quality of the reminiscence experience and autobiographical memory ability compared to the same app with a non-personalised approach. This will be measured using a combination of automatically gathered app use data and weekly caregiver feedback. Secondary goals are to investigate any difference between participants in the intervention and control condition in their technology acceptance, quality of life, self-esteem, everyday functioning and cognitive ability.
Feedback from this research will help refine AMPER and inform future studies, with the ultimate goal of creating a widely accessible tool that supports memory and well-being in Alzheimer's patients. Table 1 provides a summary of the study.
- Conditions
- Alzheimer's Dementia (AD)
- Being tested
- Personalised Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER), Non-Personalised Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER)
- Keywords
- Azheimer's disease, Dementia, Reminiscence, Reminiscence technology, Assistive technology, Intelligent Virtual Agent
- Medical subject headings
- Dementia
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Personalised Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER)Device
AMPER has an embodied agent (CGI character) who will ask questions about various memory cues such as pictures, audio files and videos from a BBC reminiscence archive (https://remarc.bbcrewind.co.uk/) to bring to the surface memories residing in the still viable regions of the brain. Personalised AMPER is personalised to preferences and age of the participant.
Non-Personalised Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER)Device
AMPER has an embodied agent (CGI character) who will ask questions about various memory cues such as pictures, audio files and videos from a BBC reminiscence archive (https://remarc.bbcrewind.co.uk/) to bring to the surface memories residing in the still viable regions of the brain. Non-personliased AMPER is not personalised to preferences or age of the participant.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Personalised AMPER | Experimental | AMPER app will be provided on a tablet, used with a caregiver in the participant's home for 12 weeks, at least twice a week AND the app will cater topic 'stories' (content) to the persons pre-stated preferences and provide content from the decades that correspond to the person's reminiscence 'bump' (when they were between 10 and 30 years old). Receives: Device: Personalised Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER) |
| Non-personalised AMPER | Active comparator | AMPER app will be provided on a tablet, used with a caregiver in the participant's home for 12 weeks, at least twice a week. AND the app will provide random content not linked to persons preferences or age. Receives: Device: Non-Personalised Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Quality of autobiographical memory during AMPER use
We will analyse the richness of episodic and semantic details in the participant's recollections (which are audio recorded during the trial). This method will ensure a systematic evaluation of memory quality during interactions facilitated by the AMPER app. This rating procedure will use the methodology outlined by Levine and colleagues (2002) and will be scored using the semi-automated methodology outlined by Wardell and colleagues (2021).
Measured: From enrollment to the end of AMPER use at 12 weeks
Autobiographical Memory ability (objectively rated)
Objective rating of Autobiographical Memory ability using the Autobiographical Memory Interview (Kopelman et al., 1989)
Measured: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Autobiographical Memory ability (subjectively rated)
Autobiographical memory ability will be subjectively rated using the Autobiographical Recollection Test (ART), (Berntsen et al., 2019).
Measured: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Autobiographical Memory ability (subjectively rated on SAM)
Autobiographical memory ability will also be subjectively rated using the survey of Autobiographical memory (SAM), (Palombo et al., 2012)
Measured: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Secondary outcomes (10)
Functional ability in tasks of everyday living
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), (Lawton \& Brody, 1969)
Measured: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Quality of life for the individual with Alzheimer's disease (subjective)
Quality of life Alzheimer's Disease (Logsdon et al., 1999)
Measured: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Level of Depression experienced by the person with AD (subjective)
Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), (Yesavage et al., 1982),
Measured: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Cognitive ability of the person with AD
Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination ACE-III (Mioshi et al., 2006)
Measured: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Verbal learning ability for the person with AD
Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) (Benedict et al., 1998)
Measured: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Short term verbal memory for person with AD
Digit Span forwards and backwards from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (4th edition), (Wechsler, 2008)
Measured: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Executive functioning for person with AD
Trail Making Test (Reitan, \& Wolfson, 1985)
Measured: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Modified Hachinski Ischemia Scale score for person with AD
Modified Hachinski Ischemia Scale (mHIS) (Hachinski et al., 2012)
Measured: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Self-esteem for the person with AD
The Rosenberg Self Esteem scale (Rosenberg, 1965)
Measured: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Technology acceptance for person with AD
The ALMERE questionnaire (Heerink et al., 2010).
Measured: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted25 Mar 2025
- Study start1 Apr 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completion28 Feb 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion28 Feb 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Alzheimer's Dementia (AD)Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Strathclyde
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Matt Jamieson, University of Strathclyde
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06894953
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 341144
- Other IDs
- EP/V05564X/1
- Acronym
- AMPER
- Status last verified
- Mar 2025
- First submitted
- 12 Mar 2025
- Last updated
- 25 Mar 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 25 Mar 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Proof of Concept Study of the Personalised AMPER System (Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing).
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06894953
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- AMPER / 341144
- Conditions
- Alzheimer's Dementia (AD)
- Keywords
- Azheimer's disease, Dementia, Reminiscence, Reminiscence technology, Assistive technology, Intelligent Virtual Agent
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of StrathclydeUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
- Study start
- 1 Apr 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 28 Feb 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 28 Feb 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 25 Mar 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The AMPER (Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing) system has been built to help people with Alzheimer's disease by improving their memory recall and quality of life. Alzheimer's often leads to the loss of autobiographical memories, which can affect a person's sense of identity. AMPER seeks to address this by creating a digital memory aid that uses an engaging, animated character on a tablet to help individuals with Alzheimer's reminisce about their past. By presenting personally relevant stories, images, audio, and videos, the character helps trigger memories and encourages interaction with caregivers.
This is proof of concept study using a randomised controlled trial methodology. Twenty participants will be randomised to the control and 20 randomised to the intervention condition. The intervention group will use a personalised version of the AMPER app with tailored content and the control group will use a non-personalised version without specific adaptations. Over 12 weeks, participants will use the app at home with their caregivers. Researchers will measure changes in their memory and cognitive abilities before and after these 12 weeks.
The primary goal is to see if personalised reminiscence improves the perceived quality of the reminiscence experience and autobiographical memory ability compared to the same app with a non-personalised approach. This will be measured using a combination of automatically gathered app use data and weekly caregiver feedback. Secondary goals are to investigate any difference between participants in the intervention and control condition in their technology acceptance, quality of life, self-esteem, everyday functioning and cognitive ability.
Feedback from this research will help refine AMPER and inform future studies, with the ultimate goal of creating a widely accessible tool that supports memory and well-being in Alzheimer's patients. Table 1 provides a summary of the study.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind (participant, care provider, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Personalised AMPER | Experimental | Device: Personalised Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER)AMPER app will be provided on a tablet, used with a caregiver in the participant's home for 12 weeks, at least twice a week AND the app will cater topic 'stories' (content) to the persons pre-stated preferences and provide content from the decades that correspond to the person's reminiscence 'bump' (when they were between 10 and 30 years old). |
| Non-personalised AMPER | Active comparator | Device: Non-Personalised Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER)AMPER app will be provided on a tablet, used with a caregiver in the participant's home for 12 weeks, at least twice a week. AND the app will provide random content not linked to persons preferences or age. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 50 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease of mild to moderate severity according to DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition) and NINCS-ADRAD (National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke-Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association) criteria.
- Age 50 or older
- Sensory (visual and auditory), language, and physical abilities adequate to perform assessments (corrective aids allowed).
- ACE III score between 20 and 82 (inclusive) (or equivalent score on MMSE (between 14 and 24, based on Law et al., 20123 equivalence data) or MOCHA (between 14 and 24 (based on Pendleberry et al., 2011 equivalence data).
- Having a caregiver or family member who can attend all visits, perform assessments, and supervise administration of study.
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Medical records indicate AD patients with the visual variant or having colour vision deficits.
- Medical records indicate a CT or MRI within 24 months prior to screening that indicates a diagnosis other than probable Alzheimer's disease.
- Medical records indicate any significant neurological disease other than probable AD (e.g. Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, brain tumor, normal pressure hydrocephalus, progressive supranuclear palsy, seizure disorder, subdural hematoma, multiple sclerosis, history of stroke, or history of head injury requiring hospitalization).
- On review of medical records, no clinically significant abnormal findings on previous physical examination, medical history, or clinical laboratory results that would indicate an alternative diagnosis.
- Current history of major psychiatric disorder (e.g. Major depression) (as indicated on medical records)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Personalised Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER)AMPER has an embodied agent (CGI character) who will ask questions about various memory cues such as pictures, audio files and videos from a BBC reminiscence archive (https://remarc.bbcrewind.co.uk/) to bring to the surface memories residing in the still viable regions of the brain. Personalised AMPER is personalised to preferences and age of the participant. | Device | Personalised AMPER |
| Non-Personalised Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER)AMPER has an embodied agent (CGI character) who will ask questions about various memory cues such as pictures, audio files and videos from a BBC reminiscence archive (https://remarc.bbcrewind.co.uk/) to bring to the surface memories residing in the still viable regions of the brain. Non-personliased AMPER is not personalised to preferences or age of the participant. | Device | Non-personalised AMPER |
Primary outcome
Quality of autobiographical memory during AMPER use
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of AMPER use at 12 weeks
We will analyse the richness of episodic and semantic details in the participant's recollections (which are audio recorded during the trial). This method will ensure a systematic evaluation of memory quality during interactions facilitated by the AMPER app. This rating procedure will use the methodology outlined by Levine and colleagues (2002) and will be scored using the semi-automated methodology outlined by Wardell and colleagues (2021).
Autobiographical Memory ability (objectively rated)
Time frame: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Objective rating of Autobiographical Memory ability using the Autobiographical Memory Interview (Kopelman et al., 1989)
Autobiographical Memory ability (subjectively rated)
Time frame: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Autobiographical memory ability will be subjectively rated using the Autobiographical Recollection Test (ART), (Berntsen et al., 2019).
Autobiographical Memory ability (subjectively rated on SAM)
Time frame: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Autobiographical memory ability will also be subjectively rated using the survey of Autobiographical memory (SAM), (Palombo et al., 2012)
10 secondary outcomes
Functional ability in tasks of everyday living
Time frame: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Quality of life for the individual with Alzheimer's disease (subjective)
Time frame: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Level of Depression experienced by the person with AD (subjective)
Time frame: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Cognitive ability of the person with AD
Time frame: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Verbal learning ability for the person with AD
Time frame: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Short term verbal memory for person with AD
Time frame: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Executive functioning for person with AD
Time frame: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Modified Hachinski Ischemia Scale score for person with AD
Time frame: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Self-esteem for the person with AD
Time frame: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Technology acceptance for person with AD
Time frame: Baseline (week 1) and follow up (week 14)
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 25 Mar 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Personalised Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER) and Non-Personalised Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing (AMPER) in people with Alzheimer's Dementia (AD), run by University of Strathclyde at 1 site in United Kingdom.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 Mar 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Matthew Jamieson, PhD (+44 7717780272, matthew.jamieson@strath.ac.uk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Quality of autobiographical memory during AMPER use (time frame: From enrollment to the end of AMPER use at 12 weeks). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 25 Mar 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 29 Oct 2026.