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Beneficial effect of artificial intelligence care call on memory and depression in community dwelling individuals with dementia
Sung Woo Kang, Yunjin Lee, Nayoung Kim, Sang-Houn Ok, Pilsu Kim, Ok-Hyun Park, Da-Mi Kim, Yongwoo Jang et al.. Scientific Reports, 2025-07-25
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Traditional dementia-prevention programs have limited accessibility and lack continuous monitoring, making sustained cognitive and emotional support challenging. This study evaluated the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) care calls on the cognitive function and depression of community-dwelling individuals. Eighty participants with dementia received AI care calls twice weekly from April 23 to November 28, 2024, with 63 calls per participant. The AI care call provided emotional support and cognitive engagement. Cognitive function (attention, memory, and language) and geriatric depression scale (GDS) scores were assessed before and after the intervention. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the pre- and post-intervention scores. General linear models were used to examine the effects of age, sex, and education on changes in clinical measures while controlling for baseline clinical scores. After the AI care call intervention, GDS scores decreased significantly, while memory scores increased significantly. An interaction effect between age and sex was observed in attention and memory score changes, with females showing greater memory improvement and maintenance of attention scores, whereas males experienced a decline in attention scores with no significant change in memory. Additionally, an interaction effect between age and education was observed in the GDS and attention score changes, suggesting that higher education was associated with a protective effect against the worsening of these symptoms following the AI care call intervention. AI care calls may help reduce depression and improve memory function in community-dwelling individuals. The differential effects of sex and education suggest that these factors affect the effectiveness of interventions.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Kang, S. W., Lee, Y., Kim, N., Ok, S.-H., Kim, P., Park, O.-H., et al. (2025). Beneficial effect of artificial intelligence care call on memory and depression in community dwelling individuals with dementia. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12895-7
Vancouver
Kang SW, Lee Y, Kim N, Ok S.-H, Kim P, Park O.-H, et al. Beneficial effect of artificial intelligence care call on memory and depression in community dwelling individuals with dementia. Scientific Reports. 2025. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-12895-7. PMID: 40715350.
BibTeX
@article{kang2025-40715350,
author = {Kang, Sung Woo and Lee, Yunjin and Kim, Nayoung and Ok, Sang-Houn and Kim, Pilsu and Park, Ok-Hyun and Kim, Da-Mi and Jang, Yongwoo and others},
title = {{Beneficial effect of artificial intelligence care call on memory and depression in community dwelling individuals with dementia}},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-025-12895-7},
pmid = {40715350},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12895-7}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- After the AI care call intervention, GDS scores decreased significantly, while memory scores increased significantly.
- An interaction effect between age and sex was observed in attention and memory score changes, with females showing greater memory improvement and maintenance of attention scores, whereas males experienced a decline in attention scores with no significant change in memory.
- Additionally, an interaction effect between age and education was observed in the GDS and attention score changes, suggesting that higher education was associated with a protective effect against the worsening of these symptoms following the AI care call intervention.
- The differential effects of sex and education suggest that these factors affect the effectiveness of interventions.
Why it matters
In 80 community-dwelling people with dementia, twice-weekly AI care calls were followed by significantly lower depression scores and significantly higher memory scores. This is a small before-and-after study of a support intervention, not evidence that Alzheimer's disease can be cured or prevented.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 39/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Scientific Reports) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Scientific Reports: journal h-index 463 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 5 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 5 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Hee Jin Kim: h-index 29 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Hanyang University: institution h-index 548 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40715350) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 39 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-12895-7
- PubMed: 40715350
- Original source →
- Free full text: Scientific Reports →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
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