A Systematic Review of Navigation Assistance Systems for People With Dementia

Area of Science:

• Assistive Technology
• Neuroscience
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Dementia significantly impacts navigation abilities, affecting health and autonomy.
• Technological solutions are being developed to mitigate these challenges.
• A systematic review is needed to guide future assistive device development for dementia navigation.

Approach:

• Systematically reviewed literature on navigation assistance devices for people with dementia.
• Searched Medline and Scopus databases from inception (PROSPERO ID: 215585).
• Extracted data on navigation advice (sensory modality, content, timing), device technology, and experimental methodology.

Key Points:

• Twenty-three articles were included in the review.
• Devices offered various navigation advice types (visual, tactile, landmark-based, intersection-based).
• Technologies ranged from smartphones to more advanced systems; methodologies varied in assessing navigation outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Future research should explore augmented reality, intelligent tutoring systems, and social support.
• Recommendations, challenges, and potential solutions for navigation assistance in dementia were identified.
• Further development is crucial to enhance the health and autonomy of people with dementia through improved navigation aids.