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Conversational AI chats for socially isolated older adults with mild cognitive impairment

Tests an AI conversation program in socially isolated older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Key facts

Who runs it
Massachusetts General Hospital
Where
Boston, United StatesSee the site
Trial code
Registry title
AI-CONECT: A Conversational AI for Early Dementia Prevention in Socially-Isolated Older Adults
Status
Not yet recruiting
People taking part
80 people, planned
Started
1 Oct 2026
Expected to end
30 Sept 2028
Type of study
Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets no study treatment, for comparison.
Treatments tested
  • AI-based conversational intervention
Record updated
25 August 2026

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for people aged 75 or older with mild memory and thinking problems (MCI) who live alone and rarely have long conversations. It tests talking regularly with an AI program.

Age
75 years and older
Sex
All sexes
Disease stage
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) of any subtype, diagnosed by a doctor. Without a diagnosis, a Telephone-MoCA (T-MoCA) score of 15-17. Not severely depressed: GDS-15 score at or below 9.
Earlier treatment
Cannot join while using unstable doses of cholinesterase inhibitors (the dose must be stable for 2 months). Cannot join while on AD antibody treatment such as aducanumab or lecanemab; people who finished it can join.

Main reasons for not taking part

  • Dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), ischemic vascular dementia, normal pressure hydrocephalus, or Parkinson's disease
  • Schizophrenia or another major psychiatric disorder
  • Frequent use of high doses of painkillers
  • Use of sedative medicines, except occasional sleep medicine (2 or fewer per week)
  • Not able to understand the consent form or to connect a tablet to the Internet

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 10 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • Aged 75+
  • Clinical diagnosis of MCI (any subtype) or, when a clinical diagnosis is unavailable, a Telephone-MoCA (T-MoCA) score of 15-17
  • Identified as socially isolated, defined as meeting both of the following self-reported criteria: (a) lives alone in one's own residence, and (b) engages in conversations lasting 30 minutes or longer no more than twice per week
  • GDS-15 (15-item Geriatric Depression Scale) at/below 9 (not severely depressed)
  • Social self-efficacy mean ≤ 8 (on the 0-10 scale) across the 6-item Social Self-Efficacy Scale at screening, indicating low confidence in social interaction
  • Ability to understand the research consent form
  • Ability to connect a tablet to the Internet

Who cannot take part

  • Diagnosed with dementia such as AD, ischemic vascular dementia, normal pressure hydrocephalus, or Parkinson's disease
  • Schizophrenia, or other major psychiatric disorder defined by DSM-IV criteria
  • Medications: (a) Frequent use of high doses of analgesics; Use of sedative medications except for those used occasionally for sleep (≤2 per week); (b) Use of unstable dosing of Cholinesterase inhibitors (need to be stable dosing for 2 months); (c) AD disease modifying monoclonal antibody treatment e.g., aducanumab or lecanemab (completed the treatment is allowed)

Where in United States

  • Massachusetts General HospitalBoston, United StatesContact: Catherine YoungNot yet recruiting

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

This randomized controlled trial examines the mechanisms of conversational AI-based interventions for early dementia prevention in socially isolated older adults.

The 2 groups in the trial

  • AI-CONECTTreatment being tested

    Participants will receive four 15- to 30-minute conversations per week with the AI agent and a weekly 10- to15-minute survey call with a human interviewer.

    Treatment: AI-based conversational intervention

  • ControlNo study treatment, for comparison

    Participants will receive a weekly 10- to 15-minute survey call with a human interviewer.

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
AI-CONECT: A Conversational AI for Early Dementia Prevention in Socially-Isolated Older Adults Based on the Efficacy-Proven I-CONECT Study
Plain-language title
Conversational AI chats for socially isolated older adults with mild cognitive impairmentGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 15 November 2026.
Record updated
25 August 2026
AI-CONECT: A Conversational AI for Early Dementia Prevention in Socially-Isolated Older Adults (NCT07701668) – Frontlight Research