Virtual Reality (VR) devices are nothing new. In fact, they’ve been essential tools for training pilots, astronauts, and soldiers since the 1970s. What’s new today is the quality of the immersive experience. Imagine strapping on a headset and finding yourself in the middle of a concert by your favorite artist that feels and sounds like you’re right on stage with them!
That’s now possible with devices like Apple’s Vision Pro, a sign of what’s already here, as well as what’s yet to come. These extraordinary tools make me wonder: Is there any application that would be helpful to people with dementia? To learn more, I began researching current applications of VR for dementia—with a particular focus on how a device that seems so isolating can be a positive experience and to understand where music fits into the mix.
The news is good. Some companies are already designing VR with a goal of combating loneliness and isolation for older adults and persons living with dementia. Given that social isolation is associated with an estimated 30 percent increase in mortality as well as a 50 percent increased risk of dementia, anything that boosts positive connection and engagement with others is worth a closer look.
For People with Dementia, VR Has Similar Benefits to Favorite Music
At first glance, VR headsets certainly appear to be isolating. Surprisingly, the opposite is true. Imagine several people, either in the same room or spread out across the country, all sharing the same VR experience and chatting with one another. Multiple individuals can experience the same guided tours or movies or concerts. They can socialize with friends in 3D via a group VR session. Or they can use VR to revisit childhood homes and neighborhoods. Just imagine the spontaneous, enthusiastic conversations!
Rendever is a VR company focused on improving quality of life for older adults. Their VR platform, designed to overcome social isolation through the power of positive shared experiences, is used in more than 600 enterprise care settings across North America. With over $2.5 million in grant funding from NIH/NIA, Rendever is studying the impact of VR on social, cognitive, and physical health and well-being for seniors, including those living with dementia. What I find most interesting about this research: the positive outcomes look similar to the positive impact of music engagement for persons living with dementia. The benefits of VR are not only reduced anxiety, stress, depression, loneliness, and pain, but also improved social interaction, better mobility and movement, and an improved sense of connectedness to self, peers, family, and others.
The beauty of favorite music is that persons living with dementia can fully enjoy it regardless of their cognitive status. Familiar music connects with long-term memories that are relatively untouched by dementia.
Now imagine what could happen if you paired favorite music with VR. If each medium can improve quality of life, what happens when we combine the two? Pharmaceutical companies invest heavily to find more effective medications. With both music and VR, there are no negative side effects.
So, how might this powerful combination work?
Recently I went to my local Apple store to try its new Vision Pro “spatial computer.” One immersive segment placed you “in the room” with Alicia Keys and her band. It was uncannily real. Could this type of experience spark cognition or enable heighted enjoyment for persons with dementia? Might the experience be even better if it’s shared? VR can transport users to up-close-and-personal symphonies and other music experiences, regardless of location. As these devices become more readily available, the added 3D feeling of immersion will enrich the user’s senses and emotions in new and more accessible ways.
A Note of Caution
Despite all this good news, we still need to approach this advanced technology with some caution. From experience with personal music, we’ve found that using headphones often delivers the best experience. But sometimes people don’t want to wear the headphones, because they are unfamiliar or feel uncomfortable. Nursing home staff have discovered that they can overcome this resistance by introducing headphones gradually over a number of days. More often than not, people learn to associate the headphones with the pleasure of their music.
The same caution applies with VR “glasses” or headsets, especially for someone with more advanced dementia. They may worry when their eyes are covered or have trouble understanding the purpose of strapping a machine over their face.
We need to learn how best to use VR and related devices for persons with dementia (and for older adults in general). As the power of music continues to gain recognition for its many benefits to people of all ages and health status, I look forward to seeing how favorite music can be integrated into this new and promising platform, especially for those who have lost access to the music they love.