Researchers and doctors around the world are constantly on the lookout for new methods of treating dementia, but one of the more surprising sources comes from the hands of Android developers who have devised a mobile game to help patients.
As it happens, Memory Lane Games is a mobile app that turns people’s memories into simple and engaging quizzes to help those struggling with various forms of dementia keep their minds active, Android Developers’ Robbie McLachlan reported on March 24.
Developing the memory mobile game
Specifically, the idea came into fruition after co-founders Peter Quayle and Bruce Elliott were talking about Quayle’s mother with vascular dementia who would “light up when she looks at old family photos.” As Elliott further explained:
“It got me thinking about my own mum, who treasures old photos just as much. The idea hit us – why not turn those memories into games? We wanted to help people reconnect with their past and create moments where conversations could flow naturally.”
Hence, Memory Lane Games was born as a collection of simple, frustration-free trivia games professionally selected to create opportunities for reminiscing on topics like history, music, places, food, pets, and so on intended to “spark nostalgia, happy memories, and start wonderful conversations.”
According to the creators, they aimed to remove any source of frustration or pressure from the games by design, so that there is no winning or losing, and no wrong answers, only “gentle prompts to trigger memories and spark conversations about topics they are interested in.”
How it works
Per the app’s Google Play page, the Memory Lane Games app relies on “repetitive stimulation of the visual, reasoning, memory, and speech areas of the brain” to trigger reminiscence, conversation, and engagement, connecting people “across generations and cultures.”
It also aims to have a calming, settling, and reassuring effect on patients, as well as redirecting them from sundowning (late-day state in dementia patients, demonstrated by various behaviors, including confusion, anxiety, aggression, or ignoring directions) and wandering behaviors.
In the future, developers want to explore the possibility of using artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver a more personalized and localized game experience, like customizing it to a particular village the player grew up in, a TV show they used to enjoy, or their hometown’s landmarks.
As they concluded:
“AI will help us offer games that are deeply personal. Plus, with the power of AI, we can create games in multiple languages, tapping into new regions like Japan, Nigeria, or Mexico.”
All things considered, Memory Lane Games is an unexpected, yet exceptionally handy way to help dementia patients feel and communicate better, as well as their caretakers to take care of them more efficiently and easily.
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