Biopsychology and Neuroergonomics, Institute of Psychology and Ergonomics, Berlin, Germany.
Center for Advanced Neurological Engineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
Eur J Neurosci. 2021 Dec;54(12):8318-8335. doi: 10.1111/ejn.15152. Epub 2021 Mar 11.
Learning to navigate uncharted terrain is a key cognitive ability that emerges as a deeply embodied process, with eye movements and locomotion proving most useful to sample the environment. We studied healthy human participants during active spatial learning of room-scale virtual reality (VR) mazes. In the invisible maze task, participants wearing a wireless electroencephalography (EEG) headset were free to explore their surroundings, only given the objective to build and foster a mental spatial representation of their environment. Spatial uncertainty was resolved by touching otherwise invisible walls that were briefly rendered visible inside VR, similar to finding your way in the dark. We showcase the capabilities of mobile brain/body imaging using VR, demonstrating several analysis approaches based on general linear models (GLMs) to reveal behavior-dependent brain dynamics. Confirming spatial learning via drawn sketch maps, we employed motion capture to image spatial exploration behavior describing a shift from initial exploration to subsequent exploitation of the mental representation. Using independent component analysis, the current work specifically targeted oscillations in response to wall touches reflecting isolated spatial learning events arising in deep posterior EEG sources located in the retrosplenial complex. Single-trial regression identified significant modulation of alpha oscillations by the immediate, egocentric, exploration behavior. When encountering novel walls, as well as with increasing walking distance between subsequent touches when encountering novel walls, alpha power decreased. We conclude that these oscillations play a prominent role during egocentric evidencing of allocentric spatial hypotheses.
学习在未知领域中导航是一种关键的认知能力，它是一个深度体现的过程，眼球运动和运动证明最有助于采样环境。我们在人类参与者主动学习房间规模虚拟现实 (VR) 迷宫的过程中进行了研究。在无形迷宫任务中，参与者佩戴无线脑电图 (EEG) 耳机，可以自由探索周围环境，只需建立和培养对环境的心理空间表示即可。通过触摸其他无形的墙壁来解决空间不确定性，这些墙壁在 VR 内部短暂呈现可见，类似于在黑暗中找到路。我们展示了使用 VR 进行移动脑/体成像的能力，展示了几种基于广义线性模型 (GLM) 的分析方法，以揭示与行为相关的大脑动态。通过绘制草图地图确认空间学习，我们使用运动捕捉来描绘空间探索行为，描述了从初始探索到随后对心理表示的利用的转变。使用独立成分分析，当前工作特别针对响应墙壁触摸的振荡进行了研究，这些振荡反映了位于后扣带回复合体深处的深度后源中孤立的空间学习事件。单试回归确定了即时、自我中心的探索行为对 alpha 振荡的显著调制。当遇到新的墙壁时，以及当遇到新的墙壁时后续触摸之间的步行距离增加时，alpha 功率降低。我们的结论是，这些振荡在自我中心证据的分配空间假设中起着重要作用。
