Using Virtual Reality To Treat Dementia

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There is no doubt that one of the most difficult things for families to deal with when a loved one develops dementia, whether or not it is Alzheimer's dementia or dementia caused by vascular issues, is that from a family's perspective they lose a very important relationship with the person they have known as the dementia worsens.

However, one of the other frustrating parts of the condition is the fact that those with dementia can be anxious or irritable.

A new study in England may provide some hope. In the study, dementia patients were able to take a step back in time using virtual reality.

It was called "The Way Back Project" and it used a mobile device to re-create the queen's coronation in 1953.

What the researchers found is that the dementia patients became happy and engaged at a level they had rarely seen.

The thought is that further experiments like this might be helpful and serve as a very important tool to help with dementia patients' happiness.