Virtual Reality

Dr. Graham is interested in the development of specialized fMRI procedures that enable improved assessment of "ecologically valid" (real-world) behaviour, rather than reductionist behaviours involving simple punctate sensory stimuli and idealized, button-press responses. The laboratory was one of the first to adopt virtual reality technology combined with fMRI to improve maps of brain activity.

Recent work in this area has involved development of an fMRI-compatible virtual reality driving simulator in collaboration with a cognitive neuroscientist at St. Michael's Hospital, Dr. Tom Schweizer. The current driving simulator project investigates the effect of driving task complexity and distraction on behaviour and brain activity. Ultimately, this work will be applied to patients with traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's Disease, and stroke, motivated by the need to develop improved metrics of fitness-to-drive for physicians and to establish new cognitive and physical rehabilitation techniques that enable recovery of driving ability.

Recent Publications

Yuen NH, Tam F, Churchill NW, Schweizer TA, Graham SJ. Front Hum Neurosci. 2021 Aug 16;15:659040. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.659040. eCollection 2021. PMID: 34483861

 

Hird MA, Vesely KA, Fischer CE, Graham SJ, Naglie G, Schweizer TA. J Alzheimers Dis. 2017;56(2):447-452. doi: 10.3233/JAD-160995. PMID: 27983557

Screenshot 2022-10-03 151107

A view from the "virtual driver seat" created using STISIM software with our fMRI-compatible driving simulator apparatus (from Kan et al., Medical Physics (2012)).