Texas Researchers Use VR Technology to Measure Brain Activity

Researchers at the University of Texas Austin (UT Austin) have modified a commercial virtual reality (VR) headset, using it to measure brain activity and better understand how humans react to stressors and other outside factors.

Amid the rise in virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic, interest in virtual and augmented reality technologies has also grown. Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) established the first unique Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Level II code for a VR program, signaling the staying power of the technology in the healthcare industry.

The UT Austin research team is one of many nationwide using VR to enhance healthcare.  

The researchers developed a noninvasive electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor that they added to a Meta VR headset. The EEG measures the user's brain activity during VR interactions.

"Virtual reality is so much more immersive than just doing something on a big screen," said Nanshu Lu, PhD, a professor in the UT Austin Cockrell School of Engineering's Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics who led the research, in a press release. "It gives the user a more realistic experience, and our technology enables us to get better measurements of how the brain is reacting to that environment."

The technology has various use cases, ranging from managing anxiety to measuring aviators' attention span or mental stress.

To create the sensor, the researchers developed spongy electrodes made of conductive materials. These electrodes sit along the top strap and forehead pad of the modified headset, creating a flexible circuit with conductive traces. An EEG recording device is attached to the back of the headset.

This design aims to overcome common drawbacks to VR and EEG devices on the market today. According to the press release, the newly developed electrodes at UT Austin are more comfortable than their counterparts, which could extend the wear time.

Researchers tested the VR EEG headset using a driving simulation game. They worked with José del R. Millán, PhD, a faculty member in the UT Austin Chandra Family Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Dell Medical School, to develop the game, which involves the user pressing buttons to react to turn commands. The EEG measures brain activity as the user makes driving decisions, showing how closely they are paying attention. The research is published in Soft Science.

The researchers have filed preliminary patent paperwork for the EEG sensor.

Healthcare providers and researchers nationwide are examining the potential uses of VR in healthcare.

In March, Massachusetts General Hospital announced plans to conduct a randomized controlled trial with Rocket VR Health to assess the efficacy of a VR digital therapeutic that aims to improve quality of life, symptom burden, distress, and self-efficacy among blood cancer patients.

The clinical trial will include 80 blood cancer patients admitted to the hospital for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Over four weeks, the patients will use the VR therapeutic that leverages evidence-based palliative care interventions, combining interactive experiences with doctor holograms and meditations in nature-based locations.

Additionally, the University of Maryland School of Medicine announced the creation of the Center for Medical Innovations in Extended Reality last year. The center's goals include developing, testing, and certifying extended reality technologies for use in healthcare.

The medical school partnered with computer scientists and engineers from the University of Maryland College Park and the University of Michigan physician-scientists to create the center.