Differences in Brain Activity and Body Movements Between Virtual Reality and Offline Exercise: Randomized Crossover...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Exercise Physiology
• Human Movement Science

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) offers immersive potential for physical exercise.
• Limited research quantifies range of motion and brain activity during VR exercises.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if 3D immersive VR enhances body movement and brain activity more than standard exercises.
• To determine if increased range of motion in VR exercise correlates with orbitofrontal cortex activation.

Main Methods:

• A randomized crossover trial compared exercises with and without 3D immersive VR.
• 24 healthy males performed identical motions in both conditions.
• Motion analysis and functional near-infrared spectroscopy assessed movement and brain activity.

Main Results:

• VR exercise significantly increased total angle, length, and calorie consumption.
• Significant changes in oxygenated hemoglobin were observed in the right orbitofrontal cortex during VR exercise.
• Right orbitofrontal cortex activation positively correlated with range of motion during VR exercise.

Conclusions:

• 3D immersive VR exercise effectively enhances range of motion in healthy individuals.
• This enhancement is associated with increased activation in the orbitofrontal cortex.