ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Neuropsychology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1579626
Humanoid Robots for Psychological Assessment in Mild Cognitive Impairment: From Evaluation to the Future of AI-Driven Data Prediction Systems
Provisionally accepted
Caterina Formica1
Fabio Mauro Giambò1
Desiree Latella1*
Lilla Bonanno1Marco Lombardo2
Orazio Tomarchio3Angela Marra1Antonella Alagna1Carmen Bonanno1Angelo Quartarone1Silvia Marino1- 1Bonino Pulejo Neurology Center (IRCCS), Messina, Italy
- 2Behavior Labs, Catania, Italy
- 3University of Catania, Catania, Sicily, Italy
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Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), are increasingly prevalent, emphasizing the need for early diagnosis and effective intervention. This study explores the feasibility of using the humanoid robot Pepper to administer cognitive assessments for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Specifically, it evaluates the usability, accuracy, and patient experience of robot-administered cognitive testing compared to traditional assessments conducted by neuropsychologists. A total of 100 MCI patients were randomly assigned to two groups: one undergoing the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) with Pepper and the other receiving the same test administered by a neuropsychologist. After that participants were submitted to a Satisfaction Questionnaire (SQ) designed to assess their emotional and experiential response to the testing procedure, whether administered by a human or a robot. The intergroup analysis (EG vs CG) reveals significant differences in age (p=0.003) and Total SQ (p=0.01), and in SQ2 ( χ2 = 9.76; df = 1 ; p = 0.002), SQ4 ( χ2=5.02; df=1 ;p=0.02), SQ5 ( χ2=25.35; df=1 ;p<0.001), SQ6 ( χ2=7.68; df=1 ;p=0.006) and SQ7 ( χ2=7.56; df=1 ;p=0.006). Results indicate no significant differences in MMSE scores between the two groups, suggesting comparable cognitive evaluation accuracy. However, participants assessed by Pepper reported lower frustration levels and higher satisfaction (90% vs. 40%) compared to those tested by a neuropsychologist. Additionally, 92% of patients in the robot-assisted group expressed willingness to retake the test in the same manner, indicating high acceptability and engagement. These findings suggest that robot-assisted cognitive assessments may enhance patient comfort and accessibility to neuropsychological testing. The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) further supports diagnostic accuracy and predictive potential, offering promising avenues for early intervention in neurodegenerative diseases.
Keywords: artificial intelligence, humanoid robot, Mild Cognitive Impairment, neuropsychological assessment, Rehabilitation
Received: 17 Mar 2025; Accepted: 05 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Formica, Giambò, Latella, Bonanno, Lombardo, Tomarchio, Marra, Alagna, Bonanno, Quartarone and Marino. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Desiree Latella, Bonino Pulejo Neurology Center (IRCCS), Messina, Italy
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