Testing the Potential of Combining Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy with Different Virtual Reality Displays—Oculus Rift and oCtAVE

Landowska, Aleksandra; Royle, Sam; Eachus, Peter; Roberts, David

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-64027-3_21

Cited by 5 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…The study showed that anxiety levels were higher in patients who were physically moving during exposure to heights, and the locomotion also improves a sense of presence (Slater et al, 1998 ). Such Cave–like systems provide an opportunity for combining with portable brain imaging devices without obscuring data quality due to the movement or sensor displacement when using HMDs (Landowska et al, 2018 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Within- and Between-Session Prefrontal Cortex Response to Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Acrophobia

Landowska

Roberts

Eachus

et al. 2018

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

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Exposure Therapy (ET) has demonstrated its efficacy in the treatment of phobias, anxiety and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), however, it suffers a high drop-out rate because of too low or too high patient engagement in treatment. Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) is comparably effective regarding symptom reduction and offers an alternative tool to facilitate engagement for avoidant participants. Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that both ET and VRET normalize brain activity within a fear circuit. However, previous studies have employed brain imaging technology which restricts people’s movement and hides their body, surroundings and therapist from view. This is at odds with the way engagement is typically controlled. We used a novel combination of neural imaging and VR technology—Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) and Immersive Projection Technology (IPT), to avoid these limitations. Although there are a few studies that have investigated the effect of VRET on a brain function after the treatment, the present study utilized technologies which promote ecological validity to measure brain changes after VRET treatment. Furthermore, there are no studies that have measured brain activity within VRET session. In this study brain activity within the prefrontal cortex (PFC) was measured during three consecutive exposure sessions. N = 13 acrophobic volunteers were asked to walk on a virtual plank with a 6 m drop below. Changes in oxygenated (HbO) hemoglobin concentrations in the PFC were measured in three blocks using fNIRS. Consistent with previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, the analysis showed decreased activity in the DLPFC and MPFC during first exposure. The activity increased toward normal across three sessions. The study demonstrates potential efficacy of a method for measuring within-session neural response to virtual stimuli that could be replicated within clinics and research institutes, with equipment better suited to an ET session and at fraction of the cost, when compared to fMRI. This has application in widening access to, and increasing ecological validity of, immersive neuroimaging across understanding, diagnosis, assessment and treatment of, a range of mental disorders such as phobia, anxiety and PTSD or addictions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Within- and Between-Session Prefrontal Cortex Response to Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Acrophobia

Landowska

Roberts

Eachus

et al. 2018

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

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“…Additionally, HMD iVR may induce less ambient light interference with fNIRS signals, as the display screens are normally fully enclosed within the VR goggle. 31 By contrast, CAVE iVR implements motion tracking cameras to track body movements or as a means of interaction with the virtual space. 91 , 92 Such cameras (e.g., time-of-flight depth cameras 93 ) often use infrared light, which represents a source of interference for fNIRS.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 90 CAVE iVR provides a more natural sense of embodiment as users can see their own bodies during the iVR experience. 31 , 95 Its spacious environment can accommodate additional pieces of equipment, such as a driving simulator or a flight cockpit simulator, to offer realistic visual and haptic feedback. Unlike HMDs, which are generally intended for a single user, CAVE VR can simultaneously immerse multiple individuals in the same environment, 92 facilitating fNIRS research that aims at exploring brain coupling among users, as seen in hyperscan setups.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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iVR-fNIRS: studying brain functions in a fully immersive virtual environment

Peng,

Moussavi,

Karunakaran

et al. 2024

Neurophoton.

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. Immersive virtual reality (iVR) employs head-mounted displays or cave-like environments to create a sensory-rich virtual experience that simulates the physical presence of a user in a digital space. The technology holds immense promise in neuroscience research and therapy. In particular, virtual reality (VR) technologies facilitate the development of diverse tasks and scenarios closely mirroring real-life situations to stimulate the brain within a controlled and secure setting. It also offers a cost-effective solution in providing a similar sense of interaction to users when conventional stimulation methods are limited or unfeasible. Although combining iVR with traditional brain imaging techniques may be difficult due to signal interference or instrumental issues, recent work has proposed the use of functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in conjunction with iVR for versatile brain stimulation paradigms and flexible examination of brain responses. We present a comprehensive review of current research studies employing an iVR-fNIRS setup, covering device types, stimulation approaches, data analysis methods, and major scientific findings. The literature demonstrates a high potential for iVR-fNIRS to explore various types of cognitive, behavioral, and motor functions in a fully immersive VR (iVR) environment. Such studies should set a foundation for adaptive iVR programs for both training (e.g., in novel environments) and clinical therapeutics (e.g., pain, motor and sensory disorders and other psychiatric conditions).

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“…These features are particularly relevant to research approaches such as neuroergonomics [13], real-life neuroscience [4], and UX/UI studies [14]. At the same time, the fNIRS developers create more devices that are fully mobile, wireless [15], and designed to work with headmounted displays (HMD) [16] or training apps [17]. VR technology has been used in the research and training of attentional skills due to its ability to isolate the subject from external distractions [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recognition of Attentional States in VR Environment: An fNIRS Study

Zapała

Augustynowicz

Tokovarov

2022

Sensors

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An improvement in ecological validity is one of the significant challenges for 21st-century neuroscience. At the same time, the study of neurocognitive processes in real-life situations requires good control of all variables relevant to the results. One possible solution that combines the capability of creating realistic experimental scenarios with adequate control of the test environment is virtual reality. Our goal was to develop an integrative research workspace involving a CW-fNIRS and head-mounted-display (HMD) technology dedicated to offline and online cognitive experiments. We designed an experimental study in a repeated-measures model on a group of BCI-naïve participants to verify our assumptions. The procedure included a 3D environment-adapted variant of the classic n-back task (2-back version). Tasks were divided into offline (calibration) and online (feedback) sessions. In both sessions, the signal was recorded during the cognitive task for within-group comparisons of changes in oxy-Hb concentration in the regions of interest (the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex-DLPFC and middle frontal gyrus-MFG). In the online session, the recorded signal changes were translated into real-time feedback. We hypothesized that it would be possible to obtain significantly higher than the level-of-chance threshold classification accuracy for the enhanced attention engagement (2-back task) vs. relaxed state in both conditions. Additionally, we measured participants′ subjective experiences of the BCI control in terms of satisfaction. Our results confirmed hypotheses regarding the offline condition. In accordance with the hypotheses, combining fNIRS and HMD technologies enables the effective transfer of experimental cognitive procedures to a controlled VR environment. This opens the new possibility of creating more ecologically valid studies and training procedures.

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Testing the Potential of Combining Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy with Different Virtual Reality Displays—Oculus Rift and oCtAVE

Abstract: Ti t l e Tes ti n g t h e p o t e n ti al of c o m bi ni n g fu n c tio n al n e a r-infr a r e d s p e c t r o s c o py wi t h diffe r e n t vir t u al r e ality di s pl ay sO c ul u s Rift a n d oC tAVE

Cited by 5 publications

References 29 publications

Within- and Between-Session Prefrontal Cortex Response to Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Acrophobia

Within- and Between-Session Prefrontal Cortex Response to Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Acrophobia

iVR-fNIRS: studying brain functions in a fully immersive virtual environment

Recognition of Attentional States in VR Environment: An fNIRS Study

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