Scientists at Northwestern University have developed mini virtual reality glasses for mice to simulate immersive situations that can be used for brain research.
According to the research paper published in the science journal Neuron, the goggles are able to faithfully simulate natural environments for mice living in laboratory settings.
The state-of-the-art innovation will allow scientists to "more accurately and precisely study the neural circuitry" with the animal's behaviors.
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How Does the VR Goggles for Mice Work?
The VR system, dubbed Miniature Rodent Stereo Illumination VR, is surrounded by the mice's entire field of view while the animal is strapped in a treadmill.
To simulate overhead threats, the researchers even added expanding dark spots at the top of the display to indicate the predator's presence.
The simulations resulted in the mice freezing in place or running faster, as they do in actual situations.
Northwestern University's innovation provided more reliable results than the VR system they have used for 15 years, an experience more similar to "watching a TV in your living room."
Researchers expect that the use of the new VR goggles will greatly reduce the testing time for animals, lessening their stress and fatigue from repeated training.
"After the first session, they could already complete the task," study senior author Daniel Dombeck said.
"They knew where to run and looked to the right places for rewards. We think they actually might not need as much training because they can engage with the environment in a more natural way."
VR Goggles Open New Methods in Neurobiology
Aside from providing a new pathway of research, Dombeck hopes that the mice-fitted VR goggles will allow more researchers to dive into neurobiology.
According to Dombeck, the "relatively cheap and pretty user-friendly" goggles can be an alternative to the much more complicated and expensive traditional VR systems.
Researchers are now looking for more applications with the development accomplished by Dombeck and his team.
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