RT sciam: Opinion: Virtual reality might be the next big thing for mental health
Experts used to worry that virtual reality would damage our brains. These days, however, VR seems more likely to help our gray matter. A new wave of psychological research is pioneering VR to diagnose and treat medical conditions from social anxiety to chronic pain to Alzheimer’s disease. Many of these solutions are still in laboratory testing, but some are already making their way into hospitals and therapists’ offices.
Previously, and still today, exposure mainly happens in carefully controlled real-world scenarios. However, VR allows therapists to create that safe, controlled environment inside a VR headset instead. It’s a far safer, quicker and less expensive option. Establishing those rules will require more research into what makes VR therapies effective. A major area of focus should be “predicting who’s going to have a positive response to VR, as opposed to other methods,” said Albert "Skip" Rizzo, director of medical virtual reality at the University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies.
Further, because VR imitates the patient’s everyday environment, it also lets clinicians test symptoms that are usually out of reach. In a 2016 study, researchers from the University of Cambridge and University College London described their proof of concept for a VR program to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers said the VR test enabled them to diagnose early-stage patients much more accurately than “gold standard” pen-and-paper cognitive tests.
Does this mean neurologists are going to start fitting their patients with HoloLens 2s or Oculus Rifts? Not necessarily, said Chan. He thinks the most important application of VR testing will be in clinical trials for new Alzheimer’s drugs. Currently, researchers typically test a drug’s efficacy in human subjects with pen-and-paper tests of memory, while testing in animal trials is done using water-based mazes.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Lizzo Got 'Emotionally Honest' About Mental Health In Powerful Insta PostsLizzo opened up about her depression in a series of powerful Instagram posts over the weekend.
Read more »
It’s Official—Video Game Addiction is a Mental Health DisorderRT DocAmen: “Gaming disorder” has been added to the WHO’s International Classification of Diseases, putting it on a par with depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses.
Read more »
How Mental Health Conversations Are Reinforcing the StigmaWhy developing your mental strength is just as important as exercise and a healthy diet
Read more »
Halsey Opens Up About Confronting Mental Health Issues'I’ve been committed twice since [I became] Halsey, and no one’s known about it.'
Read more »
NFL's Joseph Randle Ordered To Undergo Mental Health Evaluation In Rape CaseEx-Dallas Cowboys RB Joseph Randle's rape case has been put on pause.
Read more »