Psychiatric News (12/16) reports a study found that “robotic cats and dogs that purr, bark, and respond to touch may help bolster positive feelings of older adults who live at home.” For the study, the research team “enrolled 50 pairs of older people (ages 60+, 24 with dementia at baseline) and their caregivers in a four-week trial. Half of the older people received their choice of robotic cat, dog, kitten, or puppy; the other half received a robotic pet at study conclusion. Caregivers reported changes in positive and negative emotions in the study participants using two adaptations of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System.” Researchers noted that “after four weeks, positive emotion scores increased from 40.7 to 45.9 in adults who received the pets and declined from 43.7 to 41.6 in the control group. Negative emotions in both groups declined slightly, with no difference between groups.” The study was published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. (SOURCE: APA Headlines)