SAMS - Reliability and Proof of Concept study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Software Architecture for Mental Health Self Management - Reliability and Proof of Concept study
IRAS ID
145948
Contact name
Iracema Leroi
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
EP/K015761/1, Related funding grant; EP/K015796/1, Related funding grant
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 1 days
Research summary
The numbers of people living with dementia worldwide is expected to double every 20 years. Currently only about 50% of people with dementia ever receive a diagnosis, most commonly in the late stages of the illness. Promoting self-awareness of early change in memory and cognition and picking up on difficulties early is a key step in enabling people to access help and support in a timely manner.
An increasing number of older adults are using computers. Computer use is a complex task that relies on a number of different skills such as memory and language. Detecting changes in daily computer use may provide information about a person’s memory and cognition and their day to day functioning.
The Software Architecture for Mental health Self-management (SAMS) study aims to investigate whether the SAMS software can detect differences between participants with normal cognition and those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild Alzheimer's Disease (AD).
The study will compare the computer use of 30 people with MCI/mild AD with 30 cognitively healthy controls, during a single computer use session which will include a range of tasks such as editing a word document and navigating the desktop. We will also ask people to complete a series of ‘pen and paper’ tasks that enable to us to get a clearer picture of the participants memory and cognitive symptoms. This will include some tasks that measure their thinking and memory, as well as some questions about other symptoms they experience, and what daily activities they can and cannot do. We will ask friends, family members or carers to help answer any questions that the person with MCI/mild AD struggles with. Following the computer use tasks the investigator will ask the participants some questions about their experience of the tasks and their thoughts on the process.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/NW/1375
Date of REC Opinion
10 Dec 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion