Peng Ke, Moussavi Zahra, Karunakaran Keerthana Deepti, Borsook David, Lesage Frédéric, Nguyen Dang Khoa
University of Manitoba, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Price Faculty of Engineering, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
Neurophotonics. 2024 Apr;11(2):020601. doi: 10.1117/1.NPh.11.2.020601. Epub 2024 Apr 4.
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).
沉浸式虚拟现实（iVR）采用头戴式显示器或类似洞穴的环境来创建一种感官丰富的虚拟体验，模拟用户在数字空间中的实际存在。该技术在神经科学研究和治疗方面具有巨大潜力。特别是，虚拟现实（VR）技术有助于开发各种紧密反映现实生活情况的任务和场景，以便在可控且安全的环境中刺激大脑。当传统刺激方法有限或不可行时，它还为用户提供了一种具有成本效益的解决方案，以提供类似的交互感。尽管由于信号干扰或仪器问题，将iVR与传统脑成像技术相结合可能很困难，但最近的研究提出将功能近红外光谱（fNIRS）与iVR结合使用，以实现多功能脑刺激范式和对脑反应的灵活检测。我们对当前采用iVR-fNIRS设置的研究进行了全面综述，涵盖设备类型、刺激方法、数据分析方法和主要科学发现。文献表明，iVR-fNIRS在完全沉浸式虚拟现实（iVR）环境中探索各种类型的认知、行为和运动功能具有很高的潜力。此类研究应为针对训练（例如在新环境中）和临床治疗（例如疼痛、运动和感觉障碍以及其他精神疾病）的适应性iVR程序奠定基础。
