For years, scientists have been using virtual reality devices to study brain activity in laboratory mice. In the past, this was done by placing a flat panel display around the rat – this scheme has significant limitations for simulating real-world environments. Now, to create a more immersive experience, a team from Northwestern University has developed tiny VR goggles that can be worn on the face and body parts of mice, which allows researchers to map the mouse brain alive**.
The system, called Microrodent Stereo Illumination VR (or IMRSIV), is not worn on the head like a human VR headset, instead, goggles are placed in front of the treadmill, and when the mouse runs into place, it envelops the entire field of view of the mouse. "We designed and manufactured a custom bracket for the goggles," said John Issa, co-first author of the study, "and the entire optical display — the screen and the lens — all the time around the mouse. ”
In the tests, the researchers said that the mice seemed to adapt to the new VR environment more quickly than in the past setup. To recreate overhead threats such as birds swooping for food, the team drew expanding black dots at the top of the display. And rats' responses to such threats "are not Xi behaviors;It's an act of imprinting," says co-first author Dom Pinke.
With this protocol, researchers can record the mice's external physical responses, such as standing still or accelerating, as well as neural activity. In the future, researchers may flip the experimental scene to have rats act as predators and watch rats prey on insects.
*：optica
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