Toward embodied, ecological cognition with ambulatory virtual reality

Virtual reality (VR) is a powerful tool for bridging ecological validity and experimental control in cognitive science. VR techniques enable more naturalistic behavior and offer value for assessment and rehabilitation in aging and clinical populations. In this review, we describe how emerging ambulatory VR approaches that support more naturalistic movements, actions, and interactions within immersive environments offer important advances for studying cognition and neural systems in ecologically valid contexts. We highlight the ways in which ambulatory VR paradigms enrich memory, navigation, and cognitive control through embodied sensorimotor engagement, and explore the mechanistic basis for these enhancements, including potential compensatory components in aging and disease. We also discuss methodological challenges and opportunities for combining ambulatory VR with mobile neuroimaging.