Monday 24 November 2014

Virtual reality may screw up how our brain learn study suggests

Virtual reality will disrupt the way we learn, according to a recent study out of UCLA.

The brain is an amazingly complex instrument, and we’re nowhere near complete understanding of how it works.* It’s hard enough as it is to comprehend how the brain works in reality, and throwing in virtual reality will take the study to a whole new level.

Researchers from UCLA recently dove into the subject to ‘mapping’ out how the brain would respond to virtual reality vs reality, and the result is quite interesting.

In their research, they found that the hippocampus—the region of the brain that’s highly involved in diseases such as Alzheimer’s, stroke, and depression—becomes disrupted when exposed to a virtual reality environment.

Neurons responsible for activity in the hippocampus reportedly fire ‘randomly’ when the test subjects (rats) are exposed to virtual reality.* Although the rat seemed to behave normally, its brain activities suggest otherwise.

Taking the study a step further, the researchers are suggesting that the brain’s ability to learn and remember from ‘intense’ moments may also be neutralized because of how disruptive virtual reality is.

“The complex rhythms are crucial for learning and memory, but we can’t hear or feel these rhythms in our brain.* They are hidden under the hood from us.* The complex pattern they make defies human imagination.* The neurons in this memory-making region talk to each other using two entirely different languages at the same time.* One of those languages is based on rhythm; the other is based on intensity,” said Mayank Mehta, a professor of physics and neurobiology at UCLA.

Mehta added that for our brain to work at optimum capacity, neurons responsible for rhythm and intensity must work in tandem—a lot like how an orchestra requires instruments that complement and synchronize with each other.

This study may have huge implications on how the virtual reality industry continues to develop the technology.* For instance, virtual reality systems designed for soldiers will have to adjust to ensure that the men and women undergoing the training remember and extract the necessary life-like experience.* Without a real takeaway, virtual reality may serve as detriments to companies and organizations seeking to utilize the technology to train their staff.

Source: medicalxpress



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