An Immersive 3D Brain Simulation that Future Health Professionals Explore via the Oculus Rift™ Virtual Reality Headset

Understanding the complex structures and pathways of the brain in 3D is difficult. Text-based descriptions combined with 2D teaching tools cannot deliver a complete mental model of the pathophysiology of brain-based disorders. The disparity, unique to the brain vs. simpler organs, potentially explains the limited assessment and treatment efforts afforded to the importance of the brain in obesity as well as more obvious brain-based disorders such as dementia, addiction, and mental health disorders. We are creating educational tools to enhance student understanding of obesity and the CNS structures and communication involved in weight control.

Reference: Tanner B, Metcalf M, Tanner B. An Immersive 3D Brain Simulation that Future Health Professionals Explore via the Oculus Rift™ Virtual Reality Headset. Poster presented at the 2016 Winter Conference on Brain Research Meeting January 25, 2016, Breckenridge, CO.

More info on the authors: Brad Tanner, Mary Metcalf, Brian Tanner