Memory and Virtual Reality

For a proposed Dementia health care facility the following article was particular relevant. “Virtual reality can improve memory” from Science Daily discusses the benefits of virtual reality to demonstrate the uses of a digital camera over the more conventional manual in text and photo form. The findings were, in a nut shell, that the virtual video improved memories of the camera’s functions. But while it improved these memories “it also increased false positives -- that is, more people believed it could do things that it couldn't do.” This creates the problem that after having a virtual experience it may be difficult to distinguish between real and imagined memories.
The use of virtual reality needs to be carefully managed to limit the impact that it may have on confusing the users, particularly in regards to dementia patients where memories are already confused enough.