Neuro-XR Primer: Blending Neuroscience and Extended Reality to Facilitate Cognitive Investigation

Neuro-XR refers to the amalgamation of neuroimaging and extended reality (XR) including augmented, mixed and virtual reality. Both sets of technology have developed rapidly and in isolation, and here, we show that they have great potential when combined. Mobile neuroimaging technology is becoming increasingly available, offering researchers greater flexibility. Similarly, XR devices are now affordable and lightweight and can be coupled with open-source software for developing experiments. We are now at a time where neuroimaging and XR are paired to investigate new cognitive questions but also to replicate seminal research. Neuro-XR provides cognitive neuroscience and XR-based applications such as medicine, quantitative understanding (through behaviour and neural data) and analysis of real-time interactions. In this primer, we introduce the term 'Neuro-XR' and define the scope of the technique through a concept-driven synthesis based on the literature and driven by the authors' expertise. More generally, we discuss the current research in the field and explore some potential future applications. Finally, we provide suggestions and guidance for practising Neuro-XR based on our combined experience across these modalities.