Trial results for a study investigating the efficacy of gamification in enhancing user engagement for Alzheimer's Disease were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2025-09-29, with 60 participants enrolled.
Background
Alzheimer's Disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that impairs memory, thinking, and behavior, significantly impacting daily life. Dementia, a broader term, encompasses a range of conditions characterized by cognitive decline. As cognitive abilities diminish, maintaining engagement with daily activities and assistive technologies becomes challenging for individuals with dementia, and can increase the burden on their care partners. Interventions that can enhance user engagement and retention with assistive technologies are therefore critical for supporting quality of life for patients and reducing care partner stress. Gamification, the application of game-design elements and game principles in non-game contexts, is being explored as a potential strategy to address these engagement challenges.
Trial design
This completed study, designated as Phase NA, enrolled 60 participants. The trial investigated conditions including Alzheimer Disease, Dementia, Gamification, and Assistive Technology. The study aimed to determine whether the MapHabit system's gamification facilitated user engagement and retention, and if the gamified software improved the quality of life for persons with dementia and reduced the burden on their care partners. Participants were individuals with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias in mild to moderate stages of cognitive impairment, accompanied by their primary care partners. The study compared a gamified intervention arm against a non-gamified intervention arm.
Key results
The trial reported several key measurements for "Change in User Interaction and Engagement From Baseline to 6 Months" across both intervention groups:
- For one measurement, the Gamified Intervention group showed a median of 32 uses per month (Standard Deviation 29.9), while the Non-gamified Intervention group showed a median of 60 uses per month (Standard Deviation 89.0).
- In another measurement, the Gamified Intervention group had a median of 7 uses per month (Standard Deviation 29.3), compared to the Non-gamified Intervention group's median of 36 uses per month (Standard Deviation 79.2).
- A third measurement indicated the Gamified Intervention group had a median of 8 uses per month (Standard Deviation 21.3), versus the Non-gamified Intervention group's median of 2 uses per month (Standard Deviation 39.7).
- For a subsequent measurement, the Gamified Intervention group reported a median of 5 uses per month (Standard Deviation 13.2), while the Non-gamified Intervention group reported a median of 4 uses per month (Standard Deviation 45.8).
- Another measurement showed the Gamified Intervention group with a median of 4 uses per month (Standard Deviation 9.0), and the Non-gamified Intervention group with a median of 3 uses per month (Standard Deviation 38.7).
- Finally, for a distinct measurement, the Gamified Intervention group recorded a median of 0 uses per month (Standard Deviation 16.0), whereas the Non-gamified Intervention group recorded a median of 4 uses per month (Standard Deviation 25.4).
What this means
The posted results provide data on user interaction and engagement for a gamified assistive technology in individuals with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias. The measurements, reported as medians and standard deviations for "Uses per Month," show mixed outcomes when comparing the gamified and non-gamified interventions. In some instances, the non-gamified intervention showed higher median engagement, while in others, the gamified intervention demonstrated higher median engagement. One measurement for the gamified group showed a median of 0 uses per month. These varied results suggest that the impact of gamification on user engagement in this context may depend on specific aspects of interaction or individual user characteristics. Without further statistical analysis or context, definitive conclusions about the overall efficacy of gamification in enhancing engagement cannot be drawn solely from these median values.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT05422339, titled "Efficacy of Gamification in Enhancing User Engagement", were posted on 2025-09-29 on clinicaltrials.gov.