The Technology and Aging Lab
at McLean Hospital
Our lab is a center of global expertise in digital geriatric mental health.
The Technology and Aging Lab
at McLean Hospital
Active Projects
Digital Diagnostics and Phenotyping
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AI-Based Digital Phenotyping of Behavioral Symptoms in Dementia
This project examines the feasibility, tolerability, safety, and reliability of the Emerald device for use by those diagnosed with major neurocognitive disorder and their caregivers.
To learn more about the Emerald device, click here. |
Sensor-Guided Psychopharmacology in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADAPT)
This project examines use of commercially available wearable devices as a way to monitor mood and actigraphy changes for those diagnosed with major neurocognitive disorder after undergoing medication changes/adjustments. To learn more about this study, click here. |
Electronic Media and Its Application in Psychotherapy (EMAP)
This study explores the feasibility and effectiveness of including electronic communication as part of standard clinical care.
To review early findings, click here.
To review early findings, click here.
Digital Therapeutics
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Caregiver Support (CARE-ALL)
Our lab is actively investigating the use of specifically trained large language models (LLMs) as a novel avenue of support for caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease/dementia. To learn more about this project, visit our active projects page.
Digital Group Art Psychotherapy for Older Adults
We have conducted preliminary feasibility and qualitative effectiveness research on a digital phototherapy-based mindfulness group for older adults experiencing anxiety and depression in the SAGE program within the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry at McLean.
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Virtual Reality Therapy for Older Adults
Our team has conducted numerous studies in the in-patient units at McLean Hospital aiming to develop protocols for implementing virtual reality (VR) based mindfulness interventions for older adults.
In collaboration with the Universidad de San Fransisco de Quito in Ecuador we have also conducted studies about the feasibility of VR-based mindfulness in low-/middle-income countries for older adults. Read about the study here. Assistive Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Our lab is currently conducting work around the impact of novel robotic technology as a means of assistance for older adults. Our work in AI spans the realms of assistive technology and caregiver support.
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Clinical Implementation
Technology and Aging Initiative
The goal of the Technology and Aging Initiative is to serve as an early adopter of technologies for clinical care and study their feasibility, with the aim of expanding their use at McLean in collaboration with the Institute for Technology in Psychiatry (ITP).
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Selected Publications
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Unremitting Suicidality in Borderline Personality Disorder: A Single Case Study and Discussion of Technology in Clinical Care
Read about a case study from McLean Hospital which used technology as a novel assessment for suicidal ideation. Contactless In-Home Monitoring of the Long-Term Respiratory and Behavioral Phenotypes in Older Adults With COVID-19: A Case Series Read about the some of the work we have accomplished with our collaborators at Emerald Innovations. Sensing Technology to Monitor Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms and to Assess Treatment Response in People with Dementia, A Systematic Review This publication was a product of a collaboration between our lab and colleagues at the University of Bergen in Norway. |
Two Years of COVID-19: Understanding Impact and Implications for the Mental Health of Older Adults
Our most recent publication surrounding the impact of COVID-19 on the older adult population headed by Tech Lab coordinator Hailey Cray MPH, 2022. Virtual Reality and Mental Health in Older Adults: A Systematic Review This publication highlights VR as a promising intervention in the care of older adults. Click here to read it. Late-Life Depression: A Role for Accelerometer Technology in Diagnosis and Management Read our clinical case study that used movement data in The American Journal of Psychiatry here. |
Technology in Psychiatry Summit
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Improving Care Through Research
As a freestanding psychiatric hospital and the largest psychiatric affiliate of Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital provides a unique environment for optimizing treatments and providing support for a wide range of patient-centered research initiatives. The Institute for Technology in Psychiatry (ITP) brings together the leading minds in technology, science, and clinical care with a shared vision of using technology to improve mental health. |
The goal of the McLean Institute for Technology in Psychiatry is to support mental health in the digital age. The Technology in Psychiatry Summit (TIPS) is targeted at an inclusive group of academics, data scientists, clinicians, technology developers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, investors, patient advocates, and health professionals who are interested in shaping the future of mental health care. It is the ITP’s mission to incorporate these technologies into research and clinical care to address the most pressing problems in mental health.
For more information, check out the TIPS website.
For more information, check out the TIPS website.
Content from past summits (2017-2023) can be found on the McLean Institute for Technology in Psychiatry's YouTube channel.
Check out what's new in the Tech Lab!
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