(Yicai Global) Oct. 12 -- The drug rehabilitation bureau in Shanghai has developed a virtual reality (VR) drug addiction treatment system in collaboration with several organizations. It treats cognitive dysfunctions among addicts in a secure and controllable environment, Chinese newspaper Legal Daily reported.

"The system virtually simulates scenes with drugs, injection devices and other objects for patients, and records physiological indicators such as eye movement, heart rate and electrodermal activity," said Li Rongjian, an officer at the bureau. It assesses patients' degree of addiction and generates severity reports based on eye movement data, physiological analyses and evaluation results.

In social adaptation training, the system creates a warm and harmonious atmosphere using VR technology to awaken the desire for a normal family and social life among addicts.

VR offers a new rehabilitation solution and provides an immersive and interactive environment that is safe and controllable, said Zhao Min, a professor at the Shanghai Mental Health Center. It allows drug rehabilitation organizations to collect patient data in real-time, and carry out targeted interventions based on information they receive.