Mice don virtual reality goggles for immersive brain research scenarios

Research indicates mice respond similarly to stimulation in virtual environments and the real world

Scientists have created virtual reality “goggles” for mice, enabling them to engage in diverse scenarios, such as navigating mazes or sensing predator threats. While mice have been subjected to VR experiments using treadmills and large screens for years, this new approach allows more natural head movements for studying brain activity.

The conventional method of using a treadmill and large screen in mouse experiments, according to Prof Daniel Dombeck at Northwestern University, has limitations as mice can still see the lab surroundings and lack depth perception. The newly introduced setup, detailed in the journal Neuron, employs lenses and screens positioned on either side of a mouse’s head, offering a 180-degree field of view to each eye. This arrangement, while still requiring the mouse’s head to be fixed, enhances immersion in the virtual world and provides a more realistic experience.

The current goggle system prototype is too large for mice to carry, but Professor Daniel Dombeck expressed plans to create smaller versions that mice can wear like a headset in the future. This new method not only enables mice to perceive the virtual environment in 3D and removes visual cues from the lab but also allows the presentation of virtual images from above, such as a hovering hawk, providing a more comprehensive and immersive experience.

The stimulation in authentic settings induces responses in mice, prompting them to freeze or flee—reactions crucial for survival during a potential predatory bird attack in their natural habitat,” explained Dombeck.

The team’s experiments indicate that mice exhibit similar reactions in the VR goggle system. When the mice froze, the neural activity in brain regions associated with navigation suggested they perceived themselves in a different location than their actual physical position.

“It was as if they were contemplating where they would prefer to be—a secure, sheltered location up ahead,” noted Dombeck. He added that such findings could contribute to explaining the emergence of imagination in the brain.

The team is also actively researching the identification of neurons involved in memory formation during mouse maze navigation. They aim to understand which connections between neurons are altered to create memories and unravel the processes involved.

Addressing these questions will enhance our comprehension of how our brains determine our location in the surrounding world, how memories of those experiences are formed, and ultimately,” Dombeck stated, “how those memories deteriorate in neurodegenerative diseases.