Scientists Create Virtual Reality Headsets for Mice to Enhance Brain Study Environments

In a groundbreaking development, researchers at Northwestern University have engineered virtual reality (VR) goggles specifically for mice, aiming to create more realistic environments for brain research. This innovative approach allows for a more accurate and detailed examination of the neural pathways responsible for behavior. The study, published on Friday (Dec 8), highlights the significant progress these VR goggles represent compared to traditional methods, which typically involve surrounding mice with computer or projection screens.

Professor Daniel Dombeck, the lead author of the study, explained that previous VR systems for mice were akin to humans watching TV in a living room, where the surrounding environment is still visible. The new VR goggles, resembling human VR technology like Oculus Rift, provide a complete visual immersion, presenting different scenes to each eye to create a sense of depth – a feature previously lacking in mouse VR systems.

The integration of VR in laboratory research is a solution to the challenge of imaging real-time brain activity in natural settings. With these VR setups, mice navigate virtual environments, such as mazes, while remaining stationary on a treadmill. This stationary aspect allows for the effective mapping of brain activity as the mouse experiences the virtual world, offering insights into how neural circuits process information during various activities.

Professor Dombeck noted that while the existing VR systems have been successful, there’s a possibility that mice might not be fully immersed as they would be in a natural environment. Training the mice to focus on the screens and disregard the laboratory setting has been a significant part of the research.

The device, named Miniature Rodent Stereo Illumination VR (iMRSIV), features two lenses and two screens, one for each eye, providing a 180-degree field of view for 3D vision. This setup fully immerses the mouse in the virtual environment, effectively blocking out external surroundings.

Unlike human VR goggles, the iMRSIV is designed to be positioned directly in front of the mouse’s face rather than wrapping around the head, adapting the technology to the specific needs of mice.