CORE--THE HUMAN VIRTUAL REALITY CORE (HVRC)

University Of Pittsburgh At Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A Human Virtual Reality Core facility to support biomedical research of balance disorders is proposed at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The objective of this research core is to provide a state-of-the-art facility that can assess the influence of vision on upright balance in healthy human subjects and in patients with balance disorders. Recently, we have developed a projection-based three-dimensional immersive virtual environment that allows control of the entire visual field including central and peripheral visual inputs. This system is based on state-of- the-art virtual reality hardware and software that allows the presentation of a wide variety of visual inputs to subjects while measuring postural sway, head motion, eye movements, and other relevant physiologic parameters. The system, termed the Balance Near Automatic Virtual Environment (BNAVE), is now being used in the investigation of postural control for several currently-funded NIH projects and is a key component of pending and planned proposals. Furthermore, we anticipate that the facility will be used in future collaborative efforts among the co-investigators on this proposal and other investigators in our research group. Thus, the long-term goal will be to support and promote interactions among the investigators involved in human postural control here at the University of Pittsburgh and to enhance current ongoing research and foster new research directions.