Interns have always done a brilliant job of lending a helping hand at Fundación Alzheimer España (FAE) and new technologies applied to dementia treatment have traditionally been a great focus of attention for the association. To kill two birds with one stone, FAE recently asked its overseas interns to put together a therapeutic approach to dementia, which relies on virtual reality (VR)-based cognitive therapy. Aided by a few expert guidelines, the two students in question have been given the green light to proceed. The choice has been theirs in terms of conducting previous literature research, choosing the apps to go with the VR goggles, and the design and implementation of the programme.
Underlying this, there is a distinct, differential touch. Virtual Reality has, up to now, been widely used in all manner of therapies, from psychotherapy, through brain-training to neuro-rehabilitation. However, the focus of this project is the transformation of a simple, easy-to-use, non-therapeutic, everyday VR app (the kind one would use for leisure), which is not tailored to the individual user content-wise, into an adaptable, customisable intervention tool. This VR tool aims to contribute towards the improvement of general cognition, the promotion of socialisation, and mood-stabilisation through an enhanced sense of self-efficacy, usefulness and the simple fact that it is good fun.
This project has just taken its first steps. Soon, solid, evidence-based protocols will be composed and different measuring strategies will be used to get a general measure, in the long run, of the effects this therapy has on people living with dementia. Initial trials are currently being rolled out and that association says that by the look of things, it seems like a promising, low-cost and highly-engaging new avenue.