Does Cognitive Impairment and Agitation in Dementia Influence Intervention Effectiveness? Findings From a Cluster-Randomized-Controlled Trial With the Therapeutic Robot, PARO

Participants with severe agitation had poor response to PARO. Lower levels of agitation and higher cognitive functioning were associated with better responses. In clinical practice, we recommend PARO should be restricted to people with low-moderate severity of agitation. Further research is needed to determine the optimal participant characteristics for response to PARO.