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Neuroscientist Harnesses the Power of Virtual Reality to ­nlock the Mysteries of Memory


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A study subject in virtual reality gear.

University of California, Los Angeles researchers are blending virtual reality with a surgically implanted prosthesis to reveal what happens in the brain when people create memories.

Credit: Mashable

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles are using virtual reality (VR) to study how a person's brain encodes and retrieves memories while they explore a new virtual environment.

The team aims to develop therapeutic tools that could restore lost memories to people suffering from various brain disorders.

In one study, the researchers equipped a patient suffering from memory loss with a motion-capture body suit and cap studded with markers to track his movement. The patient also wore a set of goggles that transported him into a virtual environment where yellow lights signaled locations for him to walk toward and remember. The researchers tested his ability to remember the route without the lighting cues, and then downloaded the recording of the patient's brain activity from a neuro-prosthetic device implanted in his brain.

The team will use this data to analyze the patient's deep brain waves to measure the strength of his learning and recall.

From UCLA Newsroom
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Abstracts Copyright © 2017 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA


 

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