From Department of Neurology, College of Medicine in Hanyang University, Professor Kim Hee-jin's medical research team has verified that NAVER's AI call service, ‘CLOVA CareCall,’ helps improve memory and reduce depression in dementia patients.

AI Calls Offer Potential Non-Pharmacological Treatment on Dementia

‘CLOVA CareCall,’ developed by NAVER Cloud and evaluated by Professor Kim’s team, is an LLM (Large Language Model)–based AI call service. It enables users to select a preferred voice, allowing patients to engage in comfortable and familiar daily conversations. The service asks about meals, sleep, and overall health, based on memory of previous exchanges for context-aware conversations.

The research team assessed its impact on 80 seniors in Seongdong-gu diagnosed with dementia and living alone or as couples without children. Over seven months and 63 biweekly sessions, they found significant memory improvement and decreases in depression level. Specifically, the Geriatric Depression Scale(GDS) dropped from 8.5 to 6.0, and memory scores improved, revealing the potential for non-pharmacological treatment on dementia. The findings were published in the July online edition of Scientific Reports.

Regarding the results, Professor Kim explained, “Simply having someone call to ask about their well-being improved depression,” and added, “Waiting for a call and recalling memories during conversation contributed to memory improvement as well.”

The benefits were more prominent in women and those who went through higher education. Professor Kim noted, “Women appear to have a slight advantage in language-based episodic memory,” and “Highly educated patients demonstrated superior memory retention, leading to these results.”

She said, “Although we hoped for language improvement, the simple check-ins did not show major impact on the language ability as composed of easier words. I am confident, in a near future, additional programs in the system will yield improvements in that area.”

Filling the Gaps in Social Safety Nets Through Public-Private-Academic Cooperation

The study targeted 80 seniors in Seongdong-gu, who are at high risks of social isolation but, due to real estate values, were excluded from existing welfare safety nets. The research provided meaningful care for these seniors in neglected communities, with over 90% expressing willingness to participate again.

The project is a prime example of effective combintion between support from Leaders in Industry-university Cooperation(LINC), service provided by NAVER Cloud, and the research 스포츠토토사이트, serving as a strong model for community benefit.

Call-Based AI: A New Solution for Elderly Care

While CLOVA CareCall uses advanced AI like many other services around the world nowadays, its integration with traditional phone calls makes it distinctive and accessible for seniors not so friendly with digital devices.

Preexisting tablet, app, or paper-based cognitive programs require physical visits and managing staff, contributing to high costs of labor and large-scale programs. In constrast, here, the phone-based AI interaction reduces burden for labor and increases accessibility. Also, long-term management is feasible and can be easily expanded.

For caregivers, the service provides reassurance as AI monitors health and well-being of their elderlies, lessening time and financial burdens. Professor Kim said, “Future plans involve long-term follow-ups with seniors to further validate benefits.”

A neurologist at Seoul Hanyang University Hospital specializing in degenerative brain conditions such as dementia, Professor Kim emphasized the importance of keeping our brain healthy, noting, “Brain aging begins at age 20.” She has consistently studied both pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies to promote brain health.

This study of CLOVA CareCall's effectiveness aligns with the mission. Professor Kim is actively collaborating with NAVER to further expand its features beyond simple AI conversation.

She is also developing a system for more precise diagnosis and prediction of memory decline in from young to middle-aged adults. Professor Kim concluded, “My goal is to continuously research solutions for maintaining lifelong brain health.”