By UHN's KITE Research Institute
Imagine hearing your father singing the tunes of Jacques Brel, one of the most influential chanson singers and songwriters of the 20th century, after years of silence.
A virtual tour of Paris succeeded where other interventions had failed.
"His family was laughing so hard nurses stopped by the hospital room to see if everything was okay," says Dr. Lora Appel, an affiliate scientist at UHN's KITE Research Institute, who leads the Prescribing Virtual Reality (VRx) Lab at UHN.
"It was beautiful seeing a phenomenon I know to be true in theory play out in real life. It's one of the reasons why I love my job."
The patient was a participant in a study that investigated whether VR can help manage symptoms and behaviours, such as apathy and aggressiveness, in people living with dementia and who have been admitted to an acute care setting.
VRx Lab designs and evaluates therapeutic virtual reality (VR) interventions for diverse populations.
Supporting caregivers
In addition to investigating how VR can support patients, VRx Lab also investigates how the technology can benefit caregivers. Earlier this year, Dr. Appel received a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Aging Mechanisms in Brain Aging and Dementia Operating Grant to explore using VR to provide respite to caregivers of people living with dementia.
In a six-week trial, people with dementia engage in immersive VR simulations either by themselves or with someone else remotely while their caregivers take a break.
The project seeks to understand how caregivers could benefit from the respite VR provides.
"Often caregivers feel guilty about not spending all their time with their loved ones," says Dr. Appel, who also serves as an associate professor of Health Informatics at York University.
"With this intervention, they can take a much-needed break while their loved ones engage in an activity that has been proven to be beneficial."
