Shulou(Shulou.com)12/24 Report--

CTOnews.com, Dec. 11 (Xinhua)-- scientists have been using virtual reality technology to study the brain activity of laboratory mice for several years. In the past, they usually placed mice around flat panel displays, but this method has obvious limitations in simulating the real world. Recently, a team from Northwestern University successfully developed miniature VR glasses, simulating threats from above mice for the first time and recording their brain activity.

According to CTOnews.com, the system, called miniature rodent stereoscopic lighting VR (iMRSIV), is not fixed to the mouse's head like a human VR, but is placed in front of the treadmill, and when the mouse is running in place, the glasses surround its entire field of vision. " We designed and built a custom bracket for these glasses, "said John Issa, co-lead author of the study." the entire optical display-- the screen and the lens-- revolves around mice. "

In the tests, the mice seemed to be more adaptable to the new VR environment than in the past, the researchers said. To simulate threats such as bird diving and foraging, the team projected expanding black spots on top of the display. Co-lead author Dom Pink says their response to such threats is "not a learning behavior, but an imprinted behavior that is implanted in the brains of mice."

In this way, the researchers were able to record the external physical responses of mice, such as freezing in place or accelerating escape, as well as their neural activity. In the future, they may change the scene and let rats play the role of predators to see what happens when they prey on insects. A research paper on the technology was published in the journal Neuron on Friday.

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