Comparing the effects of different circular vection stimuli on upright stance

Upright quiet stance is maintained through the complex integration of sensory information from the visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems [1]. Virtual reality (VR) is a well-established tool that has been used to study sensory contributions to balance and induce visual perturbations. Previous assessments of virtual environments have suggested that VR can be used to create various visual stimuli that affect balance [2]; however, there is limited work examining which dynamic visual stimulus, in the form of circular vection (CV), is the most effective at inducing whole body lean.

Therefore, this study assessed the effects of two visual stimuli using VR to better understand their effects on postural control.

33 healthy young adults between the ages of 18-40, free of neurological impairments, stood quietly on a force plate for 30 s while wearing a head-mounted display. Participants were exposed to a field of random white dots (DOTS) or a black and white striped tunnel (TUNNEL) that rotated in the roll plane at 60°/s clockwise or counterclockwise. Amplitude was calculated from head orientation data recorded from a head-mounted display, and centre of pressure (COP).

Independent of visual stimuli, postural lean was in the same direction as the stimulus. The DOTS stimulus increased Head orientation and COP position compared to the TUNNEL stimulus. There was no significant main effect or interaction with direction for Head or COP data.

When comparing the effect of stimulus design on postural sway, a DOTS stimulus was most effective at inducing direction-modulated postural sway This study builds on our understanding of the VR-related destabilizing effects on postural control and shows evidence that a DOTS stimulus has a stronger effect than a TUNNEL stimulus. Overall, it is important to consider the design of visual stimuli when examining VR effects on upright stance.