Here is a neat little story, where a "Virtual Reality college class headed out to a local hospital where an eye and ear virtual reality studio is set up for motion balance research to help patients that suffer from vertigo". Not only that, but the class is working on some virtual reality programs using some of the same technology and ideas to help patients suffering from different phobias and such.

From the article:

So how are we going to use this for a gaming project? Using the Unreal Engine we'll be making a level for their patients who have a height phobia - basically making a huge ass map that scares the crap out of them. Using the facility's habitual therapy sessions and facing their fears in a safer virtual environment several times a week, hopefully their brain can let them overcome their fear. The game team group I'm in is just four people, and we're not sure how detailed we can get with the level geometry and texture quality yet since this is supposed to be a BIG level, so we plan on making the simulation take place on the top floors of an unfinished skyscraper. Having them go from comfy cozy floors with windows to scaffolds and unfinished walls hanging dozens of floors up in the air should do the trick! The other project the class is working on is a racing simulator of sorts, but we're skeptic of how that will turn out. There's also a third group that is more or less designing a virtual shopping mall for other patients to explore for other fears. Shopping addicts maybe? Dunno.

Read the full article over at thelastboss.com