MouseGoggles: an immersive virtual reality headset for mouse neuroscience and behavior

Abstract

Abstract We present MouseGoggles, a miniaturized virtual reality (VR) display for head-fixed mice that delivers independent, binocular visual stimulation over a wide field of view. Neural recordings in the visual cortex validate the quality of image presentation, while hippocampal recordings, associative reward learning, and innate fear responses demonstrate an immersive VR experience. Our open-source system’s simplicity, low cost, and compact size will allow for broader adoption of VR methods in neuroscience.