“Transported to a better place”: The influence of virtual reality on the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia
Maria Matsangidou, Theodoros Solomou, Fotos Frangoudes, Ersi Papayianni, Natalie Kkeli, Constantinos S. Pattichi
Abstract
• Non-pharmacological interventions for people with dementia are of great importance. • Virtual Reality found to enhance symptom management in people with dementia. • Virtual Reality found to improve the quality of life of people with dementia. • Virtual Reality was found to be a possible solution for pain management. Emerging research supports that institutionalisation may contribute to the development of the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. Many studies have documented that Virtual Reality can enhance symptom management in people diagnosed with dementia. We design a Virtual Reality system to improve the symptom management of people diagnosed with dementia residing in long-term care services. Twenty people with dementia were enrolled in the study to evaluate the developed solution. Following semi-structured interviews and observations, a thematic analysis was conducted to analyse the results of the system. Heart Rate and Eye-tracking data were recorded to enhance the reliability of the findings. Our findings indicate that Virtual Reality might be able to improve the quality of life of people diagnosed with dementia, as it is highly effective in reducing behavioral and psychological symptoms associated with dementia, including aggression, agitation, anxiety, apathy, and depression. Additionally, Virtual Reality was found to be a possible solution for pain management, reminiscence therapy, and dementia diagnosis.