A particular disease is not what is termed as Dementia. It is a condition in which a person’s abilities are declined to such an extent that they find it difficult to perform daily activities smoothly as a result of loss of memory and other thinking skills. Susceptibility to dementia increases with the increase in age of an individual. Recent studies reveal that virtual reality can aid people suffering from such conditions and have proven results showing that patients have developed better relationships with their caretakers. Researchers made participants view 5 different environmental settings – a forest, a cathedral, a sandy beach, a rocky beach, a countryside and feedback from them and their caretakers were collected. The aim was to instil memories in them which could help them connect to their past memories. The patients reported that VR sessions helped boost their mood, while caretakers said that they experienced better interactions with the patients. "With further research, it will be possible to explore more and evaluate the elements of virtual environments that benefit patients, thus using VR even more effectively.", said Chee Siang Ang, Ph.D. The study aims in introducing VR as a personal space in a patient’s life and thus make them comfortable to it while they recollect their old memories.
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