Immersive Maze-Based Memory Tasks in Virtual Reality

Immersive maze-based memory tasks in virtual reality represent a novel intersection between game design and neuroscience, providing controlled yet ecologically valid environments for investigating spatial memory, navigation strategies, and executive functions. This chapter explores how VR-based adaptations of classical paradigms (radial arm, Morris water, and floor mazes) enable dynamic manipulation of environmental complexity, multisensory cues, and cognitive load. By integrating principles of serious game design, these immersive tasks enhance engagement and motivation while preserving experimental rigor, allowing researchers to evaluate hippocampal-dependent learning and memory consolidation. Evidence from experimental and clinical studies demonstrates VR's potential for early detection of cognitive decline, rehabilitation of spatial deficits, and personalized cognitive training. Bridging interactive game mechanics with neuroscientific inquiry, this work highlights VR as a transformative platform for translational research and next-generation neurorehabilitation.