Electroencephalography Changes During Cybersickness: Focusing on Delta and Alpha Waves

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) offers immersive experiences but frequently causes cybersickness.
• Cybersickness symptoms include discomfort and disorientation, limiting VR usability.
• Understanding the neurophysiological basis of cybersickness is crucial for mitigation strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the electroencephalography (EEG) changes, specifically alpha and delta brainwave activity, associated with cybersickness.
• To compare brainwave patterns under different visual conditions (Blank, Video, Video Pause) during VR exposure.
• To identify potential neural correlates of cybersickness.

Main Methods:

• An experiment involving 30 participants (mean age 25 years) exposed to three visual conditions: Blank, Video, and Video Pause.
• Electroencephalography (EEG) recordings were used to measure brainwave activity (alpha and delta waves).
• The experiment was conducted across three trials to ensure reliability of the findings.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in delta wave power was observed during the Video condition compared to the Blank condition (p < 0.05).
• Delta wave power significantly decreased in the Video Pause condition compared to the Video condition.
• Alpha wave power significantly decreased during the Video condition versus the Blank condition (p < 0.05), and increased during Video Pause compared to Video.

Conclusions:

• Consistent alterations in alpha and delta brainwave activity were observed across visual stimuli conditions.
• The findings suggest that a decrease in alpha waves may be significantly associated with cybersickness, independent of visual stimuli.
• This research provides insights into the neural mechanisms of cybersickness, aiding future research and VR design.