ACT-R Modeling of Human Memory Tasks

Abstract

The Alzheimer Patient Cognitive Assistant is an intelligent mobile application designed to support individuals with Alzheimer’s disease by helping them manage daily cognitive activities through ACT-R (Adaptive Control of Thought–Rational) based memory modelling. By simulating human learning, recall, and forgetting processes, the system provides personalized reminders for events, medications, and important information. It includes dual user roles—caretaker and patient—allowing caretakers to add and update patient data while patients access the information through a simple, intuitive interface with timely notifications. Key modules such as Memory Book, Add Person, Add Event, Analytics, Emergency Contact, and Profile work together to enhance memory recall, ensure safety, and improve daily functioning. Overall, the application integrates cognitive science and artificial intelligence to offer a reliable, accessible, and user-friendly digital assistant that promotes independence, reduces caregiver burden, and enhances the quality of life for Alzheimer’s patients.

Introduction

The text presents the Alzheimer Patient Cognitive Assistant, a mobile application designed to support individuals with Alzheimer’s disease in managing daily tasks and improving memory recall. Leveraging the ACT-R cognitive architecture, the system simulates human memory processes—encoding, retrieval, and forgetting—to provide personalized reminders, cognitive cues, and task notifications, enhancing patient independence and safety while reducing caregiver burden.

The application supports two user roles: patients, who interact with a simple, intuitive interface, and caregivers, who can securely add, update, and monitor information such as medications, appointments, events, and emergency contacts. Key modules include Memory Book, Add Person, Add Event, Analytics, and Emergency Support, enabling memory reinforcement, recognition of familiar individuals, and timely alerts.

The system uses a client–server architecture with:

• Frontend: Mobile interface optimized for cognitive accessibility.

• Backend: Secure storage and real-time synchronization of user data.

• Cognitive Layer: ACT-R-based memory simulation for adaptive reminders and task support.

• Emergency Module: Quick access to caregivers during urgent situations.

Development follows a modular, iterative methodology with requirement analysis, system design, ACT-R integration, implementation, and rigorous testing, ensuring usability, accessibility, and reliability. The application aims to bridge healthcare and AI, providing a digital cognitive assistant that enhances daily functioning, safety, and quality of life for Alzheimer’s patients.

Conclusion

The Alzheimer Patient Cognitive Assistant successfully applies ACT-R cognitive modeling to develop a practical, intelligent, and user-friendly solution for Alzheimer’s patients. By simulating human memory processes, providing personalized reminders, and offering synchronized caretaker-patient interactions, the system enhances cognitive engagement, fosters independence, and reduces caregiver stress. Its modular and adaptive design ensures scalability and future adaptability, making it a valuable contribution to healthcare technology and demonstrating the effective integration of artificial intelligence and cognitive science in improving the quality of life for memory-impaired individuals.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Neeta Natesh, Dr. Vidyarani H J, Manasa S J, Kavita Allappa Nesur , Deeksha J, Pooja Hiremath. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.