Virtual reality with fMRI: a breakthrough cognitive treatment tool

The impact of virtual reality (VR) has been felt in a wide range of fields over the past 10 years. VR has been shown to be an effective treatment for anxiety, phobia, pain, posttraumatic stress disorder, stress inoculation training, and drug and alcohol addiction. The emerging application of VR in conjunction with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is helping to improve upon current VR systems, and in the future will aid in creating more effective treatments for patients. With the advent of fMRI-safe VR goggles, brain activity can be studied in real time as a patient undergoes a VR treatment. The use of brain imaging during a VR session allows for the study of the brain itself as a patient interacts in a real-world environment. Studies are showing that by using VR in combination with fMRI, a new emergence of data about previously-elusive functions of the brain can be expected.

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