VR-system for visuo-haptic stimulation during fMRI studies

• Applicants: Professorin Dr.-Ing. Angelika Peer; Professor Klaus Scheffler, Ph.D.; Professor Dr.-Ing. Axel Thielscher, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Medical Physics, Biomedical Technology ; Human Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience
• Term: from 2012 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 227695754

Reaching and grasping movements represent a fundamental interface for our interactions with the physical and social environment. Their dysfunction (as occurring in stroke patients) has serious consequences for all aspects of everyday life. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allows measuring the brain activity both in healthy subjects and in patient populations, thus substantially contributing to a better understanding of human brain function. However, up to now, the possibilities to investigate natural reach and grasp movements in the MR environment are severely limited, as suitable MR-compatible stimulation systems are rarely available and the movements result in severe artifacts in the fMRI measurements.The aim of the proposed project is (i) to realize a MR-compatible visuo-haptic stimulation system that allows investigating the brain activity during reach and grasp movements using fMRI and (ii) to optimize and adapt the fMRI acquisition and post-processing procedures.A final pilot study will validate the novel overall system and demonstrate its unique capabilities for studying natural (i.e., more complex and less restricted) movements.The VR system aims at the simultaneous presentation and control of visual and somatosensory information in spatial congruency. That is, the system will cover the two most important sensory channels for reach and grasp movements. It will be the first system allowing for the simultaneous testing of combined arm and finger movements in a MR environment. For the first time, brain processes that underlie natural reach-to-grasp movements can be characterized in detail. Our interdisciplinary proposal is characterized by the combination of innovative approaches towards advanced haptic displays and towards novel fMRI acquisition and analysis techniques. Both fields are tightly linked by the rigid validation of the developed novel methodology in a pilot study. This comprehensive approach ensures the usability of the novel overall system in many future studies to come, also in other brain imaging labs.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Persons: Professor Dr.-Ing. Martin Buss; Professor Dr. Heinrich H. Bülthoff; Robert Geng; Thomas Lowitz; Dr. Rolf Pohmann