Decades of human brain imaging have used methods that are either too heavy to follow participants' movements (e.g., MRI) or that require participants to sit still or lie supine to avoid movement-related artifacts that might impact the feeble signal of interest (e.g., M/EEG). As a consequence of the restrictions of traditional imaging modalities, embodied cognitive processes and their underlying neural correlates reflecting the impressive capacities of the human brain to support flexible cognition during interaction with dynamic environments remain elusive.
Recent technological advancements, however, have provided brain imaging modalities that are small and lightweight and allow for recordings of human brain activity in actively moving participants. In combination with virtual reality (VR), such systems enable controlled experiments beyond standard laboratory protocols. In combination with Mobile Brain/Body Imaging (MoBI) methods, VR offers new opportunities in cognitive neuroscience research introducing hitherto unknown possibilities for mapping out human brain function in ecologically valid scenarios. While a combination of virtual reality, motion capture, and brain imaging can assess the most important aspects of embodied cognitive processes, it further provides unprecedented opportunities for systematically manipulating the constituent factors of sensory-motor integration underlying natural cognitive processes with protocols that would not be possible without VR.
I report results from MoBI experiments that reveal striking differences in brain dynamics underlying active behavior as compared to stationary protocols. The results give new insights into human brain activity during active behaviors and a critical perspective on problems arising from the combination of new technologies.