Støre SJ, Beckman L, Jakobsson N. The effect of robot interventions on sleep in adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
J Clin Sleep Med 2022;
18:1877-1884. [PMID:
35404223 DOI:
10.5664/jcsm.10022]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES
Robotic pets or companion robots have demonstrated positive effects on several emotional and physiological factors in humans. Robots could constitute a complementary or alternative method to treat sleep problems, but individual studies on robots' effectiveness regarding sleep show mixed results. The aim of the current study was to compare the effects of robots, plush toys, and treatment as usual on sleep in adults.
METHODS
The current study is a systematic review and frequentist network meta-analysis of all randomized and cluster randomized controlled trials comparing the effects of robots, plush toys, and treatment as usual on total sleep time in adults.
RESULTS
Four studies were included in the analysis. Three studies were considered to have a high risk of bias, whereas one was rated with some concerns. The studies comprised 381 participants. These subjects were older adults, with or without dementia, living in nursing homes. The total sleep time was the only common sleep measure included in all four studies. The network meta-analysis showed no statistically significant differences between the three experimental groups.
CONCLUSIONS
The robot interventions were not found to have positive effects on total sleep time in older adults compared with plush toys or treatment as usual. Future studies should use robots especially made to target sleep, include a thorough screening of the participants, and exclude people with adequate sleep, select appropriate sleep measures, and report the results appropriately for future meta-analyses.
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