Enhancing the Ecological Validity of fMRI Memory Research Using Virtual Reality

Abstract

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a powerful research tool to understand the neural underpinnings of human memory. However, as memory is known to be context-dependent, differences in contexts between naturalistic settings and the MRI scanner environment may potentially confound neuroimaging findings. Virtual reality (VR) provides a unique opportunity to mitigate this issue by allowing memories to be formed and/or retrieved within immersive, navigable, visuospatial contexts. This can enhance the ecological validity of task paradigms, while still ensuring that researchers maintain experimental control over critical aspects of the learning and testing experience. This mini-review surveys the growing body of fMRI studies that have incorporated VR to address critical questions about human memory. These studies have adopted a variety of approaches, including presenting research participants with VR experiences in the scanner, asking participants to retrieve information that they had previously acquired in a VR environment, or identifying neural correlates of behavioral metrics obtained through VR-based tasks performed outside the scanner. Although most such studies to date have focused on spatial or navigational memory, we also discuss the promise of VR in aiding other areas of memory research and facilitating research into clinical disorders.

Virtual reality as a clinical tool in mental health research and practice

“…For example, VR has been used in neuroimaging research to study brain activation in naturalistic scenarios, a method previously impossible from inside the scanner. 29 Furthermore, since recent developments have resulted in VR becoming completely mobile, assessments do not need to occur within the clinic or lab, allowing people to access them remotely. 30 The possibility to deliver automated assessments in people's homes, independent from a clinician, is an exciting opportunity to increase efficiency, improve accessibility, and reduce cost.…”

Neural indicators of food cue reactivity, regulation, and valuation and their associations with body composition and daily eating behavior

“…However, the predictive utility of neural indicators might be increased if they are assessed in more ecologically valid contexts. Whereas most research to date has utilized controlled tasks to assess neural activation during self-control, recent research has administered tasks and stimuli with fewer constraints and little to no instructions, enabling naturally-occurring psychological processes to be captured (e.g., Reggente et al, 2018;Vanderwal et al, 2019). Indeed, this approach has been applied by measuring brain activation associated with food cue reactivity and self-regulation in response to naturalistic food cues (i.e., food commercials; Rapuano et al, 2017) and during food choice (Cosme et al, 2020).…”

Context-dependent memory effects in VR

“…Our study used VR in order to provide both perceptually and semantically rich experiences. The immersive nature of VR makes it a potentially useful tool for studying context-dependent memory (Dunsmoor et al, 2014;Reggente et al, 2018). However, the use of VR does not guarantee a context-dependent memory effect.…”