Virtual reality games and related neurotechnologies spark a new generation of dementia & cognitive tests

The Sea Hero Quest virtual reality game is played on a Samsung Gear VR headset. Source: Glitchers Ltd.

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The Virtual Reality Game Gathering Data for Dementia Researchers (Bloomberg):

“Navigating an ice-walled lake or scouring a swamp for a hidden monster may sound like a fun premise for a virtual-reality video game. But there’s a serious purpose behind the new game Sea Hero Quest VR: helping neuroscientists design a new test for dementia.

London-based game design firm Glitchers worked with researchers from British and Swiss universities, as well as dementia and Alzheimer’s charities, to create Sea Hero Quest VR. Development of the free-to-download game, which is being released Tuesday for Samsung’s Gear VR headset and Facebook Inc.’s Oculus Rift, was funded by German mobile carrier Deutsche Telekom AG…Neuroscientists and cognitive psychologists will analyze the data to hopefully learn more about how humans develop spatial awareness and navigate new environments. Researchers believe subtle degradation in these skills may be an early warning sign of dementia and that information from the game could eventually lead to new tests to detect cognitive impairment earlier.”

News in Context

• Five reasons the future of brain enhancement is digital, pervasive and (hopefully) bright
• 10 neu­rotech­nolo­gies about to trans­form brain enhance­ment and brain health
• Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) meet brain scanning and human enhancement
• Neurotechnology can improve our lives…if we first address these Privacy and Informed Consent issues
• Evaluating neural responses via EEG brain data in virtual reality environments: Key neurotech patent by The Nielsen Company
• 2017 SharpBrains Virtual Summit: Brain Enhancement in the Digital Age (December 5-7th, 2017)

 

Expo Day: MindMaze, SharpBrains, Watson Centre for Brain Health from SharpBrains

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